NATO sends 40,000 soldiers to Ukraine’s borders

BRUSSELS – At a summit on Thursday, the 24th, of the member states of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) announce The rise of forces on its eastern flank And the promised to increase its assistance to Ukraine in cyber securityBeside Protection from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons. Despite the Ukrainian president’s pleas for more help, The alliance confirmed that it would not deploy troops in the country.

“In response to the actions RussiaWe have activated NATO’s defensive plansWe have deployed elements of the NATO Response Force and have placed 40,000 troops on our eastern side, along with significant air and naval assets, under direct NATO command with the support of Allied National Detachments,” the NATO President said, Jens Stoltenberg.

At a press conference shortly after the meeting, Stoltenberg said the coalition has been providing support to Ukraine since 2014, when joining Crimea from Russia. “We are training the Ukrainian armed forces, strengthening their military capabilities and increasing their flexibility. NATO allies have intensified their support and will continue to provide more political and practical support to Ukraine while it continues to defend itself,” he said.

NATO, which has already significantly increased its presence on its eastern borders since the start of the war, with about 40,000 soldiers deployed from the Baltic to the Black Sea, agreed Thursday to create four new combat units in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. ..

NATO allies will also continue to provide assistance in areas such as cyber security and protection against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats. Allies also provide extensive humanitarian support and host millions of refugees.

Asked what kind of support the coalition would provide to Ukrainians against chemical threats, Stoltenberg said it would provide detection and protection equipment and medical support, as well as training in decontamination and crisis management in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological or Russian attack. nuclear.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at a press conference after the summit Photo: KENZO TRIBOUILLARD / AFP

The prime minister declined to elaborate on the type or number of assistance equipment they would actually ship to the east, citing “security concerns”. “We are taking all measures and decisions to ensure the security and defense of all allies in all areas and in a 360-degree approach.”

Stoltenberg said the alliance aims to prepare for a “more dangerous strategic reality,” details of which will be outlined in April during a meeting between foreign ministers of member states and partner nations.

The Allies also issued a warning to ChinaIf Russia helps Russia amid Western sanctions. “We are concerned about recent public comments from Chinese officials and urge you to stop exaggerating the Kremlin’s false narratives, particularly about the war and NATO, and to promote a peaceful solution to the conflict.”

“We call on all states, including the People’s Republic of China, to uphold the international system, including the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, and to refrain from supporting the Russian war effort in any way. Refrain from any act of It would help Russia circumvent sanctions.”

1% help

However, NATO has rejected repeated calls from Kyiv to defend Ukraine’s skies from Russian air strikes, and the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr ZelenskyHe, who joined the NATO summit via video call, complained that the West had not provided modern tanks or anti-missile systems.

“You can give us 1% of your total aircraft. 1% of all your tanks. 1%!” Zelensky asked. “Ukraine asked for your planes. So we’re not losing many people. And you have thousands of combat planes! But we haven’t received any yet. To save people and our cities, Ukraine needs unrestricted military assistance.”

Volodymyr Zelensky during a speech to the Japanese parliament on March 23 Photo: Japan News-Yomiuri / Japan News-Yomiuri

A senior US government official told the New York Times that after Zelensky’s remarks, NATO members began a conversation about the possibility of providing Ukraine with anti-ship missile systems. But this could take some time, and Zelensky ended his remarks with a call for immediate action.

Stoltenberg, whose term as director general has been extended by a year until the end of September 2023, stressed that NATO would also not send troops or aircraft to Ukraine.

“NATO has not yet shown what the alliance can do to save people,” Zelensky said, adding that he believed the Russian president, Russian President Vladimir Putinalso wanted to attack the eastern members of NATO – Poland and the Baltic states.

More penalties are on the way

Shortly after the NATO summit, the US President, Joe Biden, at a meeting with the countries of the Group of Seven, which includes Germany, Canada, France, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom, where new sanctions against Russia must be determined. Then European Union A summit will also be held to discuss this issue.

The White House said Thursday’s meetings aimed to bolster the arsenal of sanctions already in place, thwart Moscow’s attempts to evade punishment and bolster NATO’s presence in Eastern Europe.

a United kingdom Sanctions were already imposed on another wave of Russian creditors on Thursday, including Gazprombank and Alfa Bank, as well as a woman London said was the daughter-in-law of Sergei Lavrov, Putin’s veteran foreign minister.

At the same time, the we He announced new financial sanctions on politicians, oligarchs and Russian defense companies. These measures, which involve freezing assets in the United States, affect 328 deputies in the State Duma (the lower house), as well as the institution itself, and 48 “large public companies” in the defense sector, details a statement released today by the White House./ Agence France-Presse, Reuters, and The New York Times