Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania | #StandWithUkraine’s Post

💡 NATO countries are currently discussing ways to gradually shift the model of support from the #US-led multinational group, which coordinates the supply of arms to Ukraine, to the Alliance itself. On April 3-4, a meeting of foreign ministers of #NATO member countries is taking place in Brussels to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Alliance. The details of these proposals must be agreed upon before the NATO leaders' summit in Washington in July. This decision aims to optimize Ukraine's support from the Alliance and reduce dependence on Washington. Jens Stoltenberg suggested creating a special NATO mission in #Ukraine and agreeing to provide military aid to Kyiv through the alliance for a five-year period, totaling 100 billion euros. Stoltenberg's idea aims to make NATO's support for Ukraine independent of the political situations in individual member states. ❓What are your thoughts on this idea? As Zelensky notes, in March alone, #Russia deployed over 400 missiles of various types, more than 600 "Shaheds" and over 3,000 guided aerial bombs against Ukraine. Various cities and villages are suffering from this terror, particularly in frontline territories and border towns. So #Putin must be stopped ❗ #StandWithUkraine #WeAreNATO #1NATO75years

UK and Germany Deepen Defence Ties Amid Solidarity with Ukraine 🇬🇧🇩🇪🇺🇦 Subscribe to LinkedIn Investing in #Ukraine: NEWS https://lnkd.in/g2UjPURx During a significant diplomatic visit to Germany, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to discuss strengthening defence cooperation between their nations, with a special focus on supporting Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. In the meeting, PM Sunak confirmed the UK’s commitment to increase its defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030, emphasizing the importance of enhanced military readiness and capabilities. This initiative includes collaborating on the development of new military technologies such as the Remote-Controlled Howitzer 155mm Wheeled Artillery Systems (RCH 155). Both leaders, during their talks, reaffirmed their stance in supporting Ukraine. Germany has significantly contributed by sending arms and a U.S.-made Patriot air defence system. However, Germany's decision not to send Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine was noted alongside an appeal to other nations to contribute air defence systems to strengthen Ukraine’s defensive posture. This meeting marks PM Sunak’s first trip to Germany as the Prime Minister of the UK, highlighting a continued effort to maintain and enhance strong bilateral relations post-Brexit, especially in defence cooperation. As Europe faces ongoing geopolitical challenges, the strengthened UK-Germany alliance underscores a joint commitment to regional stability and support for Ukraine amidst its ongoing conflict. #UKGermanyTies #DefenceCooperation #GeopoliticalUnity

NATO's plans to send weapons to Kiev show direct involvement in conflict — Russian MFA Zakharova pointed out that the alliance "is, in fact, determined to take on the role of coordinating arms supplies to the Zelensky regime" NATO’s plans to coordinate arms supplies to Kiev show the alliance’s direct involvement in the conflict, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said commenting on the Ukraine crisis. "NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said something of note. He made it clear that now not only will the issues of providing Kiev with military aid be considered within the Ramstein framework, but also at the NATO-Ukraine Council meetings," the diplomat said. "In other words, amid problems with its supply by the United States and the European Union, the alliance is, in fact, determined to take on the role of coordinating arms supplies to the Zelensky regime. It seems that NATO is very open about its direct involvement in the conflict." Zakharova pointed out that on February 14, the 19th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group was held at the NATO headquarters in Brussels within the framework of Ramstein. "Following its results, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov informed about the launch of a coalition on ‘air defense’ led by Germany, France and the United States, which has been joined by 15 countries. Twenty countries have joined the ‘coalition for mine clearance’," the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said. #business #finance #financialservices

Foreign Ministers met in Brussels on Wednesday (3 April 2024) for the first of two days of meetings to mark NATO’s 75th anniversary and prepare for the Washington Summit in July. This was also the first meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers with Sweden participating as a full member. “The Ukrainians are not running out of courage, they are running out of ammunition,” said Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg after the meeting. He added: “in our meeting today, we discussed how to put our support on a firmer and more enduring basis for the future. All Allies agree on the need to support Ukraine in this critical moment. There is a unity of purpose. Today, Allies have agreed to move forward with planning for a greater NATO role in coordinating security assistance and training. The details will take shape in the weeks to come, but make no mistake: Ukraine can rely on NATO support now, and for a long haul.” Read more here: https://lnkd.in/d5HGenyi #NATO #Ukraine #Europe #defence #military #cooperation #support #StrongerTogether

The Bundestag Experts: NATO Troop Deployment in Ukraine Won't Drag All Alliance Members into War The Research Service of the German Parliament, the Bundestag, stated that the deployment of ground troops by one NATO country in Ukraine won't automatically involve all other Alliance members in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. According to "European Truth," the agency DPA reported this. The service was contacted by Bundestag deputy from the far-right "Alternative for Germany" party, Beatrix von Storch, who inquired about the potential impact of deploying NATO ground troops in Ukraine, such as France, considering Article 5 of the Alliance's treaty, which provides for mutual defense obligations. The parliamentary expert group noted that if one country deploys its troops, it becomes a party to the conflict. However, "if a NATO member state acts unilaterally, i.e., not within a previously agreed NATO operation and outside NATO's military command structures, neither NATO as a whole nor other NATO partner countries become parties to the conflict," the document states. They emphasized that Article 5 of the NATO treaty is related to attacks on Alliance countries and troops on their territory or above their territory. The potential involvement of French ground forces in support of Ukraine will be based on the collective right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter and, therefore, will be permissible under international law, the document says. However, experts noted that if Russia reacts and attacks targets in France, it would constitute an "armed attack" within the meaning of Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which would set forth the actual requirements for declaring the NATO alliance's position. The Research Service is a subdivision of the Bundestag, consisting of eight specialized departments with approximately 100 employees. In March, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the possible deployment of Western troops to Ukraine "cannot be ruled out." Later, he added that his resonant words were carefully considered. Subsequently, commenting on the idea he touched upon, Macron noted that in the event of such a scenario, French forces would not advance against Russia. #Bundestag #NATO #Ukraine #Russia #Security #InternationalRelations

https://lnkd.in/ejmdCKt5 The US will gain access to 15 military bases along the border with Russia under a defence deal to be signed with Finland next week. Russia would regard the presence of Nato infrastructure near its borders as a threat, said Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman. “This will certainly lead to tension. We can only regret this,” Mr Peskov said. The treaty must be approved by Finland’s parliament. Elina Valtonen, the country’s foreign minister, will be present in Washington during the signing to meet Antony Blinken, the United States secretary of state. Washington signed a similar pact with Sweden on Dec 6 that gives the US access to 17 military bases. Concerns raised by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 led both Finland and Sweden to abandon their military non-alignment and apply for membership in the Nato. Finland joined in April, while Sweden is still waiting for its bid to be ratified by Nato members Hungary and Turkey. ‘There were no problems’ with Finland The Kremlin said: “We had excellent relations with Finland. No one threatened anyone, there were no problems or complaints against each other. No one infringed on anyone’s interests, there was mutual respect. “But now, when Finland is a Nato member and Nato’s military infrastructure will already enter Finnish territory, this will pose an obvious threat to us.” Finland is due to sign a defence co-operation agreement with the US on Monday. Nato has warned in recent days that if Ukraine loses the war, Russia will attack other neighbouring countries.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Former Secretary General of NATO suggests accepting Ukraine into Alliance with no guarantees for occupied territories. "The time has come to take the next step and extend an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO. We need a new European security architecture in which Ukraine is in the heart of NATO," he said.  Supporters of Ukraine's NATO membership are cautious because the extension of Article 5 of the Alliance's Collective Defence Treaty to the entire Ukrainian territory would require NATO member countries to defend a country at war actively. Rasmussen argues that excluding the territories occupied by Russia from the treaty's coverage would reduce the risk of conflict between Russia and NATO. Rasmussen denies that this step would freeze the conflict by surrendering Ukrainian territory to Russia. "The absolute credibility of Article 5 guarantees would deter Russia from mounting attacks inside the Ukrainian territory inside Nato and so free up Ukrainian forces to go to the frontline," he said. "To make Article 5 credible there would have to be a clear message to Russia that any violation of NATO territory would be met by a response," Rasmussen emphasised. He stated that in a sense, this proposal is similar to establishing a no-fly zone for Russia, preventing it from flying over Ukrainian territory or launching missiles into Ukrainian cities. Finally, he argues that the Ukrainian army is currently the most battle-hardened army in Europe and could become an asset and an example for other European states https://lnkd.in/eyTNH7PV

Since January 2024, Ukraine has signed bilateral agreements with its Western allies on security assurances. These agreements continue the agreement signed by Volodymyr Zelenskyy with the G7 countries in Vilnius in July 2023. So far, Ukraine has signed nine such agreements with the UK, Germany, France, Denmark, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Finland and Lithuania. Zelenskyy recently announced an agreement with the United States. For the Ukrainian media, signing these agreements is big news, while the foreign media are more reserved. The reason is that the Ukrainian presidential administration presents these agreements as 'security guarantees', while Western leaders talk only about assurances for Ukraine and military aid. Read this article to find out what these agreements mean, whether they will replace Ukraine's NATO membership, and what to expect from the agreement with the US. https://lnkd.in/dcNtKbd7

Should NATO be more involved in coordinating military aid for Ukraine? Judy Dempsey asked several experts. My answer is “Yes”. More insights and nuances but also diverging perspectives from the great Anna Wieslander Kristi Raik Linas Kojala Kurt Volker Heinrich Brauss Stefanie Dr. Babst https://lnkd.in/dgBYdQaz My take: 📝 The institutionalization of the coordination of military support for Ukraine within NATO will help ensure greater stability and predictability of assistance. If designed effectively, cooperation can improve planning efficiency for both Ukrainians and allies through assessments of what is needed, when, and how to deliver on these needs, including over the long term. It will also mitigate any damage incurred if particular governments decide to soften their support for Ukraine—not an unthinkable scenario in the United States and elsewhere. 🔕 Critics of such proposals are concerned that NATO could be perceived by Russia to be a party to the war. This argument, however, ignores the fact that Putin has already successfully persuaded Russians that their country is waging war against NATO in Ukraine. Western institutional intricacies and workarounds are of little interest or relevance to Putin and his supporters. What matters for them is whether Ukraine is strong enough to fight back or not. 🔥 Western institutional creativity, in other words, will not by itself be a cause for hostilities. Nor will collective support. The European Peace Facility, to this end, has not resulted in Russia launching a hot war against the EU. The Kremlin indeed will have no problem finding a pretext for armed conflict with NATO if it wants to. But Moscow will actually be less inclined to do so if it sees NATO countries as organized under an institutional umbrella than if it perceives them as dysfunctional and afraid of their own bureaucratic shadow.

Anticipating NATO’s Next Moves at the Washington Summit Walter Landgraf July 3, 2024 The Washington summit will mark NATO’s 75th anniversary but the celebration will be modest, as the alliance faces several challenges involving Ukraine, Russia, and the European security landscape. With the absence of alliance consensus on inviting Ukraine to join NATO, the allies should collectively do what they can now to help Ukraine in the fight against Russia. NATO should seek to institutionalize the provision of military aid to Kyiv, which would signal a long-term commitment by the West to Ukraine’s security.