The three-day NATO summit in Washington – which commemorated the bloc’s 75th anniversary – concluded with an extensive list of aid to Ukraine and what the bloc called Kyiv’s “irreversible path” to NATO membership.
Apart from the typical, firm condemnation of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the conference also criticized Iran and North Korea’s involvement in Russia’s war and called China a “decisive enabler” for the invasion.
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Here are the key takeaways from this week’s NATO summit.
“Irreversible path” to NATO
As many have expected, NATO did not offer Ukraine an immediate place in the alliance.
Instead, the alliance emphasized an “irreversible path” for Ukraine to join the bloc, which NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg said is not a question of if but when.
In response to a journalist’s inquiry, Stoltenberg also explained that NATO’s current support for Ukraine – the “concrete actions” – are the foundations for helping Ukraine prepare for the eventuality of one day attaining membership.
“So, the full package we have with Ukraine, with the NATO command, the long-term pledge, the delivery of new, more weapons, including more F-16s, the bilateral security agreements and the package on interoperability, all of that constitutes, as we call it, a bridge to membership.
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“These are concrete actions that will bring Ukraine closer to membership and demonstrate that this will be an irreversible part,” said Stoltenberg.
€40 billion ($43 billion) aid and other support for Ukraine
During the three-day summit, NATO members announced the beginning of F-16 transfers to Ukraine, more air defense systems – including four Patriot batteries – and a pledge of €40 bn ($43 bn) in military aid next year.
The US, Denmark and the Netherlands said at the summit that the F-16s “will be flying in the skies of Ukraine this summer” without specifying the number of aircraft transferred. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked them for their efforts but said Ukraine would need more jets – 128 F-16s to be precise – to effectively counter Russia’s air superiority.
As for air defense, US President Joe Biden announced a “historic donation of air defense equipment for Ukraine” at the summit.
“The United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, and Italy will provide Ukraine with the equipment for five additional strategic air defense systems. And in the coming months, the United States and our partners intend to provide Ukraine with dozens of additional tactical air defense systems,” Biden said, according to a White House press release.
In addition, he said Ukraine will receive priority in air defense exports.
In a joint declaration issued after the summit, NATO also outlined the content of the military aid package for 2025, which includes the following:
- Purchase of military equipment for Ukraine
- In-kind support donated to Ukraine
- Costs related to maintenance, logistics and transportation of military equipment for Ukraine
- Costs for military training for Ukraine
- Operational costs associated with provision of military support to Ukraine
- Investments in and support for Ukraine's defense infrastructure and defense industry
- All contributions to NATO Trust Funds for Ukraine, including non-lethal aid
NATO said it “[aims] to meet this pledge through proportional contributions, including by taking into account their share of Alliance GDP,” which could be interpreted as a response to former US President Donald Trump’s accusation that NATO members are not spending enough compared to the US ahead of his potential re-election in November.
Criticism of Iran, North Korea and China
NATO also took a stronger stance against Iran, North Korea and China for their support in Russia’s invasion and what it called actions that disrupt global security.
In its joint declaration, it said, “Iran’s destabilizing actions are affecting Euro-Atlantic security,” and condemned North Korea’s supplies of artillery shells and ballistic missiles to Russia, calling it a “violation of numerous United Nations Security Council resolutions.”
It also called China a “decisive enabler” for Russia’s invasion “through its so-called ‘no limits’ partnership and its large-scale support for Russia’s defense industrial base” and asked Beijing to stop its “transfer of dual-use materials, such as weapons components, equipment, and raw materials that serve as inputs for Russia’s defense sector.”
Stoltenberg, in response to a journalist’s inquiry, noted that “it's the first time that all NATO Allies stated this so clearly in an agreed document” in relation to its criticism of China’s support for Russia.
In response to another inquiry, Stoltenberg also commented on the recent military exercise by Chinese and Belarusian troops conducted on the Polish border and said it “[confirmed] how authoritarian regimes are aligning more and more and also how China is coming closer to NATO, in Europe, in Africa, in the Arctic and elsewhere.”
“So, this fits into the pattern we have seen. Also, with a closer alignment between China and Russia but now also China and Belarus. And, of course, it also fits into the pattern of authoritarian powers working closely together in supporting Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, a neighbor to Belarus,” Stoltenberg said.
Concerns over Biden’s re-election efforts
While Biden has been a vocal supporter of NATO compared to Trump, multiple slips of the tongue at the NATO summit have fueled concerns over his cognitive ability and thus, his likelihood of being re-elected and continuing his strong US support for NATO.
At the summit, Biden mistakenly referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump.” Hours earlier, he had introduced Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, as “President Putin” by mistake.
The incident prompted audible gasps from diplomats and world leaders in attendance, as reported by the Times.
Several individuals called out “Zelensky!” to correct Biden’s mistake. He quickly corrected himself, saying, “We’re going to beat President Putin. President Zelensky. I was so focused on beating Putin.”
Zelensky responded with a handshake, saying, “I am better,” to which Biden replied, “You are a hell of a lot better.”
According to a Politico report based on conversations with 20 sources associated with the alliance, diplomats and world leaders have expressed doubts about Biden’s age, health, and chances of re-election.
While many of these officials support Biden’s re-election to prevent Trump’s return to office, they have expressed “acute concern” about Biden’s recent debate performance, which left them anxious about his readiness to lead and address ongoing political challenges.
“It doesn’t take a genius to see that the president is old,” said one official from a European NATO country. “We’re not sure that, even if he wins, he can survive four years more.”
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