Senior Russian general in Ukraine says he was dismissed after criticizing lack of support for troops
Andrew Mccoy Security guarantees from leading nations and assurances that Ukraine’s future lies in NATO appeared to calm brewing worries that Ukrainian frustrations at not being admitted to the alliance would overshadow one of the most significant bloc summits in recent memory.
US President Joe Biden and G7 leaders unveiled a substantial show of support for Ukraine Wednesday at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, offering a joint declaration of support for Ukraine aimed at bolstering the war-torn country’s military capability.
Still no invitation for Ukraine to join alliance: Biden acknowledged that the alliance did not invite Ukraine to membership during the summit as it works on “necessary reforms,” but, he said, “We’re not waiting on that process to be finished” to boost the country’s security.
Biden has emphasized that Ukraine is not ready to enter NATO, telling CNN in an exclusive interview last week that Russia’s war needs to end before the alliance can consider adding Kyiv to its ranks.
Ukraine has been a dominant item on the summit’s agenda as the US president sought to keep the group united behind President Volodymyr Zelensky in the face of Russia’s invasion. Zelensky arrived in Lithuania on Tuesday and issued a blistering statement expressing his frustration at not receiving more specific details on when and how Ukraine would join the alliance.
However, it appears he heard enough to go home happy, saying, “The results of the summit are good” during a news conference with the alliance’s chief. Among the moves NATO took was agreeing to remove one requirement for Ukrainian entrance to the group — a Membership Action Plan — given Kyiv’s close relationship with NATO nations. It did not provide a firm timeline for when the Ukrainians will become official members.
New military aid for Ukraine: The G7 issued a three-page document detailing the joint declaration agreement shortly after the leaders spoke on Wednesday.
“Today we are launching negotiations with Ukraine to formalize – through bilateral security commitments and arrangements aligned with this multilateral framework, in accordance with our respective legal and constitutional requirements – our enduring support to Ukraine as it defends its sovereignty and territorial integrity, rebuilds its economy, protects its citizens, and pursues integration into the Euro-Atlantic community,” the declaration said, adding that those discussions will begin “immediately.”
It will work on “bilateral, long-term security commitments and arrangements towards” three goals.
- The first goal is “ensuring a sustainable force capable of defending Ukraine now and deterring Russian aggression in the future,” through the provision of security assistance and modern military equipment, support for Ukraine’s industrial base development, training for forces, intelligence sharing and cooperation, and support for cyber defense, security and resilience initiatives.
- The second goal is “strengthening Ukraine’s economic stability and resilience, including through reconstruction and recovery efforts, to create the conditions conducive to promoting Ukraine’s economic prosperity, including its energy security.”
- The third goal is “providing technical and financial support for Ukraine’s immediate needs stemming from Russia’s war as well as to enable Ukraine to continue implementing the effective reform agenda that will support the good governance necessary to advance towards its Euro-Atlantic aspirations.”
The announcement will start a process of bilateral negotiations with Kyiv, National Security Council senior director for Europe Amanda Sloat told reporters.
