Ukraine membership out of NATO summit statement
The prospect of Ukraine joining NATO will not be mentioned in the declaration at the bloc's summit later this month, Bloomberg has reported. Kiev has long sought to become a member of the US-led organization, an aim that Russia views as a threat to its national security.
The one-page draft statement, which was seen by the outlet, focuses solely on NATO's spending goals, Bloomberg reported on Monday. The document could still be subject to change.
The summit in The Hague will reportedly include only a dinner with the king of the Netherlands and a single working session. The 'brevity' of both the declaration and the gathering is reportedly designed to minimize potential public disagreements between US President Donald Trump and other NATO leaders.
'Notably absent from the statement is the prospect of Ukraine joining the military alliance,' Bloomberg wrote.
Last year's military assistance pledge worth $45 billion will not be renewed either, the report added. In July 2024, then-Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged the bloc's members to make a multi-year commitment to keep providing military aid for Kiev. Annual spending across the bloc should have amounted to €40 billion ($45 billion) each year under that scheme.
This year, NATO members are only expected to commit to allocating at least 3.5% of their GDP to defense by 2032 and to spend an additional 1.5% on protecting infrastructure and ensuring civil preparedness. The bloc is considering allowing its members to count military assistance to Kiev toward the spending goals, according to Bloomberg.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte wants the summit to become a 'win' for Trump, who has repeatedly called on the bloc's members to spend at least 5% of their GDP on defense, Bloomberg reported, citing its sources.
Earlier this month, AFP reported that NATO leaders would avoid discussing Ukraine's membership at the upcoming summit in a bid to alleviate tensions between the US and EU. The US president, who is seeking to facilitate a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, has ruled out the possibility of Kiev joining NATO.
Russia views the military bloc's eastward expansion as a threat, and has cited it as one of the root causes of the Ukraine conflict. Russian officials have on numerous occasions stated that admitting Ukraine into the bloc would be crossing a red line and has insisted that the country remain neutral.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
26 minutes ago
- Russia Today
Russia creating dedicated drone force
Russia is in the process of establishing drone forces as a separate branch of the military, President Vladimir Putin has said, revealing that up to half of all battlefield kills in the Ukraine conflict come from UAVs. The president made the remarks on Thursday during a meeting with top military and civilian officials dedicated to Russia's armament plan for the next decade. Unmanned systems have been playing a crucial role on the battlefield, and the scope of their use is only growing, Putin stated. 'They are capable of destroying armored vehicles, entrenchments, communication systems, transport, and enemy manpower. Our drone operators are currently responsible for a significant portion – up to 50% – of the destroyed and damaged enemy equipment and facilities,' the president said. Apart from the direct combat use, drones are widely employed for reconnaissance, electronic warfare, mining and demining, the president noted. Russia is currently in the process of forming a dedicated drone force, Putin said, adding that its development and deployment must be as 'swift and top-notch' as possible. 'I believe we have accumulated good experience in order to create this branch of the military. We are talking about training personnel, production, and deliveries of modern devices capable of enhancing the combat capabilities of our troops,' the president said. The establishment of the new branch of service – the Unmanned Systems Troops – was first announced last December as part of the effort to boost the use of unmanned technology on the battlefield. At the time, Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said the branch would be formed in the third quarter of this year.
Russia Today
2 hours ago
- Russia Today
Over 80k aerial targets shot down during conflict with Ukraine
Russian forces have shot down more than 80,000 aerial targets during the conflict with Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin has revealed, adding that the country is seeking to create a universal anti-aircraft system capable of intercepting any incoming projectile. Putin made the remarks on Thursday while meeting with senior civilian and military officials to discuss Russia's armament plans for the period between 2027 and 2036. The conflict with Ukraine has been marked by the rapid development of aerial weaponry, the evolution of its role and the tactics of its use, Putin noted. 'The new state armament program should ensure the creation of a universal air defense system that is capable of operating in any conditions and effectively destroying aerial strike weapons regardless of their type,' the president stated. The 80,000 figure includes some 7,500 sophisticated munitions, such as tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and projectiles fired by multiple rocket launchers, Putin noted, adding that nearly all such weapons destroyed had been supplied to Kiev by the West. However, drones constitute the vast majority of aerial targets intercepted during the conflict. According to the latest figures by the Russian Defense Ministry, more than 63,000 Ukrainian UAVs of all types have been destroyed amid the hostilities. 'The fight against various types of unmanned aerial vehicles required new approaches and non-standard solutions. This field remains particularly relevant,' the president stressed.
Russia Today
7 hours ago
- Russia Today
Ukraine didn't exist in 12th century, Russia's Medinsky tells NATO boss
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte should have paid closer attention in history class, because he apparently does not know that Ukraine did not exist in the 12th century, Vladimir Medinsky, Russian presidential aide and Moscow's top negotiator at the talks with Kiev, has said. Rutte on Monday accused Moscow of stalling peace talks with Kiev while insisting that Russia should drastically revamp the line-up of its delegation that has held two rounds of talks with Ukraine in Istanbul. 'To end this war, we need [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to come to the negotiating table, and not with this historian.., telling us about the history of Russia and Ukraine from whatever the 12th century,' he said at the time, referring to Medinsky. Speaking at the International Forum of Ministers of Education in Kazan on Monday, Medinsky fired back at Rutte. 'I know that Mr. Rutte studied history at university, but I would definitely send him a previous school history textbook on the Middle Ages, because from it he would surely learn that Ukraine did not exist in the 12th century,' Medinsky noted. He added, 'If Vladimir II Monomakh, the Grand Prince of Rostov, Smolensk, and Kiev, were told that he lived in Ukraine, he would probably be surprised and might even be offended,' he quipped. Medinsky, who used to hold the post of Culture Minister, is also known for co-authoring a new series of history textbooks introduced in Russian schools. He is also personally leading an extensive online course on Russian history. Back in the 12th century, the territory of modern Ukraine was part of Kievan Rus', a loose feudal entity combining several East Slavic principalities and ruled by the Rurikid dynasty. The term 'Ukraine' did originate in the late 12th century, but it did not refer to a sovereign state or principality. Instead, it was used as a geographic descriptor, meaning 'borderland.' The notion of Ukraine as a distinct political and cultural entity started to emerge only in the 17th century.
