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VILNIUS: President Joe Biden has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of having a “cowardly lust for land and power” at the end of the war. The summit was born On Wednesday, Ukraine received new security guarantees from the United States and its allies for its defense against Moscow.
Members of the world’s most powerful military bloc offered the prospect of long-term protection a day after the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky He decried the refusal to provide an invitation or timetable for Ukraine’s entry into NATO as “ridiculous”.
Ukraine had been pushing for fast-track membership while fighting the Russian invasion that unleashed in February 2022 that killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions.
Instead, a declaration by the Group of Seven major industrial nations of the world launched a framework for bilateral negotiations to provide military and financial support, share intelligence, and promised immediate steps if Russia were to strike again.
“Our support will continue long into the future. It is a strong statement of our commitment to Ukraine,” Biden said, alongside Zelensky and the leaders of the Group of Seven – the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.
Speaking in Vilnius, Lithuania, at the end of a two-day meeting on Russia’s doorstep, Biden said Putin had grossly underestimated the determination of the US-led military coalition.
“NATO is stronger, more active, and yes, more united than at any other time in its history. In fact, more vital to our common future. It didn’t happen by accident. It wasn’t inevitable,” Biden said.
“When Putin, with his cowardly lust for land and power, unleashed his brutal war on Ukraine, he was betting that NATO would break up…but he thought wrong.”
Zelensky swallowed his disappointment over the lack of a timetable for membership, praising NATO’s “unprecedented and pragmatic support for Ukraine” and saying that at the summit Ukraine got “unequivocal clarity that Ukraine will be in NATO”.
He tweeted: “I think we will be in NATO as soon as the security situation stabilizes. Simply put, when the war is over, Ukraine will be invited to join NATO and Ukraine will obviously become a member of the alliance. I haven’t had any other thoughts of that kind.”
In a meeting with Zelensky, Biden promised him that the United States was doing everything it could to meet Ukraine’s needs and acknowledged Zelensky’s frustrations about the scale and speed of the support.
“Your steadfastness and your determination were an example for the whole world to see,” Biden said. “I look forward to the day when we gather to celebrate your official membership in NATO.”
“The bad news for you is we’re not going anywhere. You’re stuck with us,” Biden joked, prompting laughter from Zelensky.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that Biden will discuss the issue of long-range missiles with Zelensky when they meet.
Speaking to reporters later, Biden said, “One thing Zelensky understands now is that whether or not he’s in NATO now is irrelevant” as long as he has the commitments made at the summit. “He doesn’t care about that now.”
Zelensky told Biden he wanted to thank “all Americans” for the billions of dollars in aid his country has received.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said he told Ukraine its international allies were “not Amazons” and that Kiev needed to show gratitude for the arms donations to convince Western politicians to give more.
“We have always been grateful to the United Kingdom, to the Prime Ministers and the Secretary of Defense because the people always support us,” Zelensky said.
Britain, France, Germany and the United States have been negotiating with Kiev for weeks over a broad international framework of support, which includes modern advanced military equipment such as combat aircraft, training, intelligence sharing and cyber defence.
In return, Ukraine will pledge better governance, including through judicial and economic reforms and enhanced transparency.
Also on Wednesday, the first session of the new NATO-Ukraine Council was held, a format designed to boost cooperation between Kiev and the 31-nation alliance.
“Potentially very dangerous”
Nato is based on mutual security guarantees, in which an attack on one is an attack on all, and it has carefully avoided extending any firm military commitments to Ukraine, fearing that it would risk drawing it closer to all-out war with Russia.
Ukraine was wary of any less binding security “guarantees,” given that the Russian invasion had already trampled on the so-called Budapest Memorandum in which international powers committed to keeping the country safe in exchange for Kiev giving up its Soviet-era nuclear weapons.
Speaking earlier alongside Zelensky, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine is closer to the alliance than ever before, and ignored new warnings from Russia about the consequences of supporting Ukraine.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak He said the security arrangements for Ukraine were not designed as a substitute for full NATO membership, and said the commitments at the summit represented a high point of West support for Kiev.
It has quickly criticized Russia, which says NATO’s eastward expansion poses an existential threat to its security.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the West’s granting of security guarantees to Ukraine was “potentially very dangerous”.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the summit showed that NATO was returning to “Cold War plans” and added that it would respond “in a timely manner, in an appropriate manner, using all means and methods at our disposal”.
Members of the world’s most powerful military bloc offered the prospect of long-term protection a day after the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky He decried the refusal to provide an invitation or timetable for Ukraine’s entry into NATO as “ridiculous”.
Ukraine had been pushing for fast-track membership while fighting the Russian invasion that unleashed in February 2022 that killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions.
Instead, a declaration by the Group of Seven major industrial nations of the world launched a framework for bilateral negotiations to provide military and financial support, share intelligence, and promised immediate steps if Russia were to strike again.
“Our support will continue long into the future. It is a strong statement of our commitment to Ukraine,” Biden said, alongside Zelensky and the leaders of the Group of Seven – the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.
Speaking in Vilnius, Lithuania, at the end of a two-day meeting on Russia’s doorstep, Biden said Putin had grossly underestimated the determination of the US-led military coalition.
“NATO is stronger, more active, and yes, more united than at any other time in its history. In fact, more vital to our common future. It didn’t happen by accident. It wasn’t inevitable,” Biden said.
“When Putin, with his cowardly lust for land and power, unleashed his brutal war on Ukraine, he was betting that NATO would break up…but he thought wrong.”
Zelensky swallowed his disappointment over the lack of a timetable for membership, praising NATO’s “unprecedented and pragmatic support for Ukraine” and saying that at the summit Ukraine got “unequivocal clarity that Ukraine will be in NATO”.
He tweeted: “I think we will be in NATO as soon as the security situation stabilizes. Simply put, when the war is over, Ukraine will be invited to join NATO and Ukraine will obviously become a member of the alliance. I haven’t had any other thoughts of that kind.”
In a meeting with Zelensky, Biden promised him that the United States was doing everything it could to meet Ukraine’s needs and acknowledged Zelensky’s frustrations about the scale and speed of the support.
“Your steadfastness and your determination were an example for the whole world to see,” Biden said. “I look forward to the day when we gather to celebrate your official membership in NATO.”
“The bad news for you is we’re not going anywhere. You’re stuck with us,” Biden joked, prompting laughter from Zelensky.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that Biden will discuss the issue of long-range missiles with Zelensky when they meet.
Speaking to reporters later, Biden said, “One thing Zelensky understands now is that whether or not he’s in NATO now is irrelevant” as long as he has the commitments made at the summit. “He doesn’t care about that now.”
Zelensky told Biden he wanted to thank “all Americans” for the billions of dollars in aid his country has received.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said he told Ukraine its international allies were “not Amazons” and that Kiev needed to show gratitude for the arms donations to convince Western politicians to give more.
“We have always been grateful to the United Kingdom, to the Prime Ministers and the Secretary of Defense because the people always support us,” Zelensky said.
Britain, France, Germany and the United States have been negotiating with Kiev for weeks over a broad international framework of support, which includes modern advanced military equipment such as combat aircraft, training, intelligence sharing and cyber defence.
In return, Ukraine will pledge better governance, including through judicial and economic reforms and enhanced transparency.
Also on Wednesday, the first session of the new NATO-Ukraine Council was held, a format designed to boost cooperation between Kiev and the 31-nation alliance.
“Potentially very dangerous”
Nato is based on mutual security guarantees, in which an attack on one is an attack on all, and it has carefully avoided extending any firm military commitments to Ukraine, fearing that it would risk drawing it closer to all-out war with Russia.
Ukraine was wary of any less binding security “guarantees,” given that the Russian invasion had already trampled on the so-called Budapest Memorandum in which international powers committed to keeping the country safe in exchange for Kiev giving up its Soviet-era nuclear weapons.
Speaking earlier alongside Zelensky, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine is closer to the alliance than ever before, and ignored new warnings from Russia about the consequences of supporting Ukraine.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak He said the security arrangements for Ukraine were not designed as a substitute for full NATO membership, and said the commitments at the summit represented a high point of West support for Kiev.
It has quickly criticized Russia, which says NATO’s eastward expansion poses an existential threat to its security.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the West’s granting of security guarantees to Ukraine was “potentially very dangerous”.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the summit showed that NATO was returning to “Cold War plans” and added that it would respond “in a timely manner, in an appropriate manner, using all means and methods at our disposal”.
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