The West's long-term commitment to Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with key NATO leaders on July 12 at the alliance's summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, a day after he criticized them for not moving faster to admit Kyiv as a member.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shakes hands with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Vilnius on July 12.

More aid to Ukraine

In a statement at the end of the first day of the meeting, NATO leaders said Ukraine's future was in NATO but promised to invite the country to join only when "Allies agree and conditions are met", according to Reuters. Observers said the commitment was no different from the one made in 2008, and reflected the concerns of many NATO members about being drawn into direct conflict with Russia. President Zelensky expressed disappointment and described NATO's hesitation as "absurd".

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However, Ukraine is not expected to leave empty-handed. On the last day of the conference yesterday, the first session of the NATO-Ukraine Council opened. Time magazine quoted NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg as saying that the council is a platform for Ukraine and NATO members to consult and make decisions together. It is also a means for Ukraine to convene crisis meetings and tighten the scope of cooperation with NATO. Observers say that the establishment of this council is an important step for Ukraine's ambition to join NATO.

Ukraine has also been reassured by a series of security and financial aid commitments from the West. The British government said yesterday that the G7 group will issue a joint statement on helping Ukraine defeat Russia and prevent similar actions in the future. According to Reuters, a framework will be established for each country to negotiate bilateral agreements with Ukraine on the weapons they will provide and other forms of aid such as military training, intelligence sharing and cyber defense. In return, Ukraine will commit to promoting domestic governance and judicial reforms.

"Ukraine's future is in NATO", but conditions are unclear

Russia, China warn

In response to the above moves, the Kremlin yesterday warned that the West's granting of security commitments to Ukraine was a "very dangerous" act and violated Russia's security.

TASS news agency quoted Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev as saying that the West sending weapons to Ukraine would bring World War 3 closer. The former Russian President stressed that Moscow would continue its "special military operation" and keep its goals, including preventing Kyiv from joining NATO.

Tense war

The Ukrainian military announced on July 12 that the capital Kyiv was attacked by suicide drones for the second night in a row. In a statement on Facebook, Ukraine said it had intercepted 11 of the 15 UAVs. At the same time, Ukraine also said that fierce fighting occurred in the east and southeast of the country, but its forces had achieved certain successes south of the city of Bakhmut in Donetsk province.

Meanwhile, TASS quoted Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu as saying that Ukraine lost more than 26,000 troops and more than 3,000 pieces of heavy military equipment in the counterattack since early June. Ukraine did not comment on this statement.

Former Russian President Says NATO Aid to Ukraine Brings World War 3 Closer

In an interview with Indonesia's Kompas newspaper during his visit there, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the armed conflict in Ukraine will continue until the West abandons its plans to maintain its dominance and stops being obsessed with the desire to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia through Ukraine.

In a related development, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin yesterday called on NATO to stop making groundless accusations and provocative statements against Beijing. A day earlier, NATO leaders issued a strongly worded statement on the first day of the summit in Lithuania, saying China had challenged the organization’s security, interests and values.

China's mission to the European Union (EU) has rejected NATO's statement and opposed "NATO's eastward shift towards the Asia-Pacific region". The Chinese mission warned that any action that threatens its rights will result in a strong response from Beijing.

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