Nato allies on Wednesday at the 75th-anniversary summit in the US capital said that they have started transferring F-16 jets to Ukraine and stepped up promises of eventual membership for Kyiv. President Joe Biden welcomed 31 alliance leaders, urging them to match Russia‘s military production, focusing on the defense of Nato territory. Biden said that Denmark and the Netherlands have begun sending US-made F-16 jets to Ukraine, fulfilling a key promise to Kyiv.He also mentioned new air defense systems and the periodic placement of long-range missiles in Germany.
US secretary of state Antony Blinken said the F-16 transfer would ensure Putin realizes he “will not outlast Ukraine” and that continued aggression would only harm Russia further. This comes amid political uncertainty in the US, with Donald Trump leading Biden in polls and suggesting a peace settlement by forcing Ukraine to cede territory to Russia.
Nato leaders, in a joint declaration, pledged 40 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine, aiming to increase predictability and counteract delays in US assistance. Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg stressed the need for a Ukrainian victory to end the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for the F-16s, asserting they would bring peace closer and ensure that “terror must fail.”
Zelenskyy in his X post said that, “The new aircraft will bring just and lasting peace closer, demonstrating that terror must fail.”
The summit aimed to “Trump-proof” Nato by enhancing the alliance’s role in coordinating arms delivery to Ukraine rather than the United States. It also targeted China, expressing concern over its support to Russia, and highlighted Nato’s increasing role in Asia by inviting Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.
The summit’s language indicated Ukraine’s “irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including Nato membership.” However, concerns persist, led by Biden and German chancellor Olaf Scholz, about the risks of war with nuclear-armed Russia.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer affirmed their support for Ukraine, with Starmer stating Nato’s unity against Russian aggression. The recent missile barrage by Russia on Ukraine, killing dozens and hitting a children’s hospital, underscored the ongoing conflict.
“We can — and will — defend every inch of Nato territory and we’ll do it together,” Biden told the North Atlantic Council.
US secretary of state Antony Blinken said the F-16 transfer would ensure Putin realizes he “will not outlast Ukraine” and that continued aggression would only harm Russia further. This comes amid political uncertainty in the US, with Donald Trump leading Biden in polls and suggesting a peace settlement by forcing Ukraine to cede territory to Russia.
Nato leaders, in a joint declaration, pledged 40 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine, aiming to increase predictability and counteract delays in US assistance. Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg stressed the need for a Ukrainian victory to end the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for the F-16s, asserting they would bring peace closer and ensure that “terror must fail.”
Zelenskyy in his X post said that, “The new aircraft will bring just and lasting peace closer, demonstrating that terror must fail.”
The summit aimed to “Trump-proof” Nato by enhancing the alliance’s role in coordinating arms delivery to Ukraine rather than the United States. It also targeted China, expressing concern over its support to Russia, and highlighted Nato’s increasing role in Asia by inviting Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.
The summit’s language indicated Ukraine’s “irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including Nato membership.” However, concerns persist, led by Biden and German chancellor Olaf Scholz, about the risks of war with nuclear-armed Russia.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer affirmed their support for Ukraine, with Starmer stating Nato’s unity against Russian aggression. The recent missile barrage by Russia on Ukraine, killing dozens and hitting a children’s hospital, underscored the ongoing conflict.
“We can — and will — defend every inch of Nato territory and we’ll do it together,” Biden told the North Atlantic Council.