Kiev announced shooting down 20 Russian UAVs, President Zelensky 'threatened' not to attend the Ukraine-NATO Council meeting for what reason?

On July 12, according to an anonymous official, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned not to appear at the first meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the NATO Summit on July 11. (Source: AP)

In an article published in the New York Times (USA) on July 12, President Zelensky and his Eastern European partners set higher expectations for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit in Lithuania, especially the specific timing of Kiev's admission into this military alliance.

According to the New York Times , NATO's stance has been disrespectful to the Ukrainian President. Therefore, "on the evening of July 11, Mr. Zelensky threatened not to attend the first meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council."

At the recent summit, NATO adopted a decision to establish the Ukraine-NATO Council. Accordingly, this cooperation has granted Ukraine the status of an equal partner. Specifically, Kiev has the right to convene council meetings, organize expert groups and make decisions that are binding on other countries.

The NATO summit took place in Vilnius, Lithuania on July 11-12. In a joint statement on July 11, member countries agreed to simplify the procedure for Ukraine to join NATO.

However, these countries did not mention a specific time for Kiev to officially become a member, as NATO is still waiting until the Russia-Ukraine conflict ends.

In the latest developments, on July 13, the Ukrainian Air Force confirmed that it had shot down 20 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and two Russian cruise missiles on the night of July 12 - the third night of the attack on Kiev and several other areas in the country.

“We had a successful air defense operation. 20 Shahed UAVs were shot down. Two Kalibr cruise missiles were also intercepted,” said Yuriy Ignat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tinh-hinh-ukraine-kiev-tuyen-bo-ban-ha-20-uav-nga-tong-thong-zelensky-doa-khong-du-cuoc-hop-hoi-dong-ukraine-nato-vi-ly-do-gi-234454.html