Washington.-The United States and NATO allies are stepping up their support for Ukraine with advanced weapons and the deployment of more than 60 fighter jets, while several leaders of the powers meeting in Washington are already talking regarding the “irreversible” entry of kyiv into the Atlantic alliance, although this will not happen soon.
The summit, designed to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the creation of NATO, was dominated on Wednesday by assistance to Ukraine, an issue that has come to a head following Russia’s cruise missile attack on a children’s hospital and other targets in Kiev in what was seen as a bloody message from President Vladimir Putin to the alliance’s leaders.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, also invited to the meeting in Washington, has pleaded for more help, arguing that an attack like Monday’s might have been prevented with better air defenses.
President Joe Biden, meanwhile, is seeking to establish himself as the leader of NATO not only to bolster America’s global presence but also to his own domestic constituency following strong questions regarding his health that arose following a disastrous televised debate with rival Donald Trump.
The White House chief is facing intense pressure from his own party’s officials and legislators to withdraw from his presidential candidacy for the November elections and to accept another candidate in his place with a better chance of beating the Republican.
This Thursday, at the close of the summit, he will hold a press conference – something unusual during his mandate – where he will face journalists live and direct, without the usual teleprompter that guides his speeches.
The first of more than 60 US-made F-16 fighter jets is already on its way to Ukraine and will fly by the end of this summer, the US, Dutch and Danish governments said on Wednesday. And it shows how it is moving towards supplying more sophisticated weaponry as its war with Russia continues since shortly following the conflict began in March 2022, the US effectively blocked Poland from providing older Soviet-made fighter jets to Ukraine for fear of Russian escalation.
“Those planes will be flying over Ukraine this summer to ensure that Ukraine can continue to effectively defend itself once morest Russian aggression,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at an event on the sidelines of the summit on Wednesday.
It is known that it is not easy to train enough Ukrainian pilots and deliver equipped aircraft to reinforce Ukrainian defenses, so the challenge is great.
The governments of Denmark and the Netherlands have begun transferring the aircraft to Kyiv, according to a statement from President Biden, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. The Dutch have pledged an initial batch of 24 fighter jets, while Denmark has said it would send 19.
“The process of transferring these F-16s is already underway,” the statement said. Belgium and Norway have also promised to provide F-16s to Ukraine and those aircraft will arrive later.
Biden announced in March 2023 that the United States would support an effort to train Ukrainian pilots to fly Western fighter jets, including F-16s. Until then, the United States had said that giving Ukraine F-16s would be too costly and require extensive training.
Separately, Secretary Blinken, Czech President Petr Pavel, his Finnish counterpart Alexander Stubb, and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo all used the word “irreversible” to describe Ukraine’s path to NATO membership. Stubb and Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs said the final summit statement issued by the 32 NATO allies will include that word.
“I think it is very important to send a message to the Kremlin from here that Ukraine’s path and the bridge to NATO membership is now irreversible,” Stubb said.
Zelensky, fearing his country will be left to fight a stronger Russia indefinitely, is seeking NATO assurances that Ukraine can join the alliance. The United States and others have opposed his joining while the conflict with Russia continues, so as not to provoke a wider war. They also stress that Ukraine must take stronger steps to fight corruption and implement other reforms.
By placing the word “irreversible” in the document, the leaders would secure a path for Ukraine that might be more difficult to navigate if Trump were to take over the US presidency next year.Clarín.
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2024-07-16 23:12:39
