The physical presence of the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyat the summit of heads of state and government of the NATOwhich will take place on June 29 and 30 at Madrid, it is not closed. Everything will depend on the evolution of the war in Ukraine and the decision will foreseeably be taken within twenty-four hours prior to the meeting depending on the security situation, but the secretary general of the Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenbergconfirmed this Wednesday that the Ukrainian leader is invited to speak at the meeting that will endorse the comprehensive long-term assistance package for Ukraine and will approve the so-called Strategic Concept, the document that updates the security strategy and that will mark the way for the countries allies for the next decade.
“President Zelensky has been invited to address all leaders when we meet at the end of the month. He will be welcome if he attends in person but if it is not possible he can intervene by videoconference. We look forward to it and the leaders are very committed to supporting Ukraine, expressing their solidarity and demonstrating that solidarity not only with words but also with deeds & rdquor ;, Stoltenberg explained during a press conference to explain the content of the Ukraine ministerial meeting. defense that takes place until this Thursday at the headquarters of Brussels. If Zelensky went to Madrid, it would be the first time since the Russian invasion began, on February 24, that the Ukrainian president leaves the country. “In the media it would be very important in terms of strategic communication, but we are going to see how the war evolves. If he comes, he will decide it twenty-four hours before & rdquor ;, allied sources explain.
The intention of the 30 allied countries is to approve in Madrid a comprehensive support package that will allow kyiv to quickly transition from a Soviet-era military system to more modern equipment, such as those used by allied countries, which will also improve interoperability. To talk about the “urgent needs & rdquor; of Ukraine, this week’s ministerial meeting was attended by its defense minister, Oleksii Reznikov. “We are going to see how we can improve the way in which we support, but the starting point is that the allies have given unprecedented levels of support in recent months & rdquor ;, Stoltenberg recalled to those who criticize that kyiv has only received 10% of the promised weaponry.
“NATO leaders realize the urgency” but “sometimes efforts take time & rdquor ;, he has defended himself by referring to the fact that they are now delivering “more advanced and long-range air defense systems, more advanced artillery, more heavy weapons, and more modern NATO standard weapons (&mldr 😉 It will take some time for the Ukrainians to be ready to use and operate these systems & rdquor ;, he insisted, reiterating that the allied countries are committed in any case to continue providing the military equipment that Ukraine needs, including heavy weapons and long-range systems .
Accession of Finland and Sweden
The Madrid meeting will also serve to give the green light to the new Strategic Concept, to replace the one in force since 2010 with the aim of taking into account the new threats and the new security reality “with a 360º vision”, allied sources point out. What is not yet clear is whether the allies will come to the summit with a decision on the accession of Finland Y Sweden to NATO. Despite the pressure of Washington and the continuous contacts of the Stoltenberg team to unblock the situation, Turkey continues to veto the start although the objective of the Alliance is that both countries can participate as guests in the meeting.
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“My goal is to resolve this as soon as possible, but as there are several countries involved there is no way of knowing exactly when. I am confident that Sweden and Finland will eventually become members of NATO because Turkey He has also been in favor of the open door policy & rdquor ;, said the Norwegian. “It is too early to say if we will make it to the summit. The summit has never been a deadline but I work hard to try to resolve the concerns that Turkey has raised. I hope we make progress for the summit but it’s early & rdquor ;, he added.
As reiterated by the Allied Secretary General, Ankara’s concerns about terrorism and the fight against PKKclassified as a terrorist organization by the European Union (EU), are “legitimate & rdquor; and there are signs from Finland and Sweden of willingness to respond to the problems raised by the Government of Tayyip Erdogan. Less than two weeks before the meeting, however, allied sources do not rule out that the unblocking and signing of the start of the accession process, which under normal circumstances would take place in Brussels in the presence of the foreign ministers of both countries and the ambassadors allies, takes place at the same Madrid summit, which will also be attended by the leaders of Georgia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea.