BRUSSELS — United States Secretary of State Antony The blink I affirm that Ukraine, country at war with Russia, will eventually become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (I TAKE), a fact that, if realized, could directly involve the transatlantic alliance and the United States in the war.
Speaking to reporters as part of NATO’s 75th anniversary celebration, Blinken did not discuss the timeline for Ukraine to become a member of NATO, but said that “our purpose at the summit is to help build a bridge to that membership.”
“The support for Ukraine and the determination of all countries represented here in NATO remain rock solid. We will do everything we can. The allies will do everything they can to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to continue to confront Russia’s ongoing aggression,” said the US Secretary of State, whose statements came after the Kremlin stated that Russia and NATO “are in a direct confrontation.”
“Relations have now fallen to the level of direct confrontation,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
NATO “was already involved in the conflict surrounding Ukraine and continues to advance towards our borders and expand its military infrastructure towards our borders,” he said.
Tribute
Blinken paid tribute to “the millions of soldiers, sailors and airmen whose courage and willingness to put their lives on the line have given weight to our sacred commitment to defend each other.”
Blinken said that as foreign ministers celebrated more than seven decades of peace, “security — along with the fundamental principles of the alliance of democracy, freedom and the rule of law — are once again threatened by those who believe that force “he agrees with them (…) and those who try to redraw the borders by force.”
NATO on the rise
The alliance’s ranks have nearly tripled in the more than seven decades since its founding 12 members. Finland and Sweden joined in record time to shelter under NATO’s guarantee of collective security, after coming under pressure from populist leaders in Turkey and Hungary who demanded compensation for accepting their entry.
That promise, Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, which was brought to Brussels for the ceremony, stipulates that an attack against any member must receive a unified response. It has only been used once, after the Al Qaeda attacks on US soil in 2001.
Among the group’s most recent successes following the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall, NATO could mention its 1999 air campaign against the former Yugoslavia to end a bloody crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists and its efforts to prevent a civil war in Macedonia in 2001.
At the opposite extreme is Afghanistan. NATO took command of the security operation there in 2003 and it became the longest, most expensive and deadliest in the alliance’s history. It was marked by a chaotic retreat in August 2021 that abandoned many of the gains made during nearly two decades of campaigning.
Ukraine wants position
Now Ukraine also wants a seat at the NATO table, but the alliance operates unanimously and there is no consensus on whether it should join. In any case, most allies are for now opposed to including it as long as the war continues. Right now, NATO only promises that its door is open for Ukraine to walk through one day in the future, but that could change.
Putin claimed to have waged the war, at least in part, because NATO was expanding closer to Russian borders.
NATO allies also disagree on whether to arm Ukraine. As an organization, the alliance only offers non-lethal support such as transport vehicles, fuel, combat rations, medical supplies and demining equipment. However, many members offer weapons and ammunition bilaterally or in groups.
The bulk of NATO’s efforts since Russian troops began massing for the invasion has been to reinforce its own borders near Russia and Ukraine to deter President Vladimir Putin from later attacking some of the allies.
Article 5 passed perhaps its toughest test during Donald Trump’s tenure as president of the United States, by far the most powerful country of the group. Trump suggested that the United States might not come to the defense of any NATO ally that had not increased its defense spending to at least 2% of its gross domestic producer, as they agreed to do in 2014.
Trump has reiterated the threat during the election campaign this year. NATO estimates that 18 of its 32 members will reach that goal this year, compared to just 3 a decade ago.
The leaders of Hungary and Türkiye have also undermined NATO unity from within. Hungary insists it is time to make peace with Russia, and has vetoed high-level meetings with Ukraine in the past. Türkiye, with support from Hungary, also delayed Sweden’s entry until it obtained promises of defense contracts.
The two are likely to test their partners’ patience again as NATO seeks a successor to Stoltenberg, who is the longest-serving secretary general and steps down in October. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is by far the favorite to replace him. Hungary and Türkiye, once again, have their reservations.
Source: With information from AFP and AP
