Kyiv Press Conference
NATO General Secretary Stoltenberg met with President Zelensky in Kyiv today where he doubled down on previous announcements that Ukraine membership in NATO was “just a matter of time”. During the dual press conference in Kyiv, the Secretary General made several comments which ultimately called from increased NATO assistance to Ukraine.
“Leadership and bravery alone cannot repel the Russian forces; you also need arms and ammunition… Ukraine has been outgunned for months… fewer Russian missiles and drones have been shot down, and Russia has been able to push forward on the front line…But it is not too late for Ukraine to prevail. More support is on the way…I expect further announcements soon.”
Turning to NATO, the General Secretary said:
“Allies have already agreed to plan for a greater NATO role in coordinating security assistance and training for Ukraine…I believe we also need a major, multi-year financial commitment to sustain our support. To demonstrate that our support to Ukraine is not short term and ad hoc, but long term and predictable. Moscow must understand: they cannot win. And they cannot wait us out…Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO. Ukraine will become a member of NATO. The work we are undertaking now puts you on an irreversible path towards NATO membership, so that when the time is right, Ukraine can become a NATO member.”
Following this press conference, Ukrainian President Zelensky made this announcement on his TG Page:
“Ukraine and the Alliance have reached the highest level of relations during the entire period of our independence, but not the highest possible. And this is exactly what we talked about today with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. About repelling Russian aggression, about our further cooperation, Ukraine and NATO, and about the real unification of our forces. Jens, thank you for supporting Ukraine! Thank you for this visit!”
Significance
These statements come after weeks on increased Russian pressure on Ukrainian lines in Donetsk Oblast which has led to the loss of several towns on the Chasiv Yar axis. Russian forces seem to be pressing their advance as Western aid to Ukraine, chiefly from the U.S., paused in recent weeks during domestic political negotiations. The Russian Aerospace Forces have also been stepping up their air attacks on Ukraine energy infrastructure. By making such statements that clearly violate Putin’s red line of Ukraine joining NATO, the alliance leadership is clearly signaling that it will not allow the original goal of the Russian invasion, the capture of Kyiv and the installation of a puppet government to occur.
