NATO to keep Ukraine at arm’s length

Kiev will be permitted to join the US-led bloc “when allies agree and conditions are met”

NATO has reaffirmed its readiness to grant Ukraine membership at some point in the future. A joint statement released during the annual summit of the US-led bloc said Kiev would be invited to join only “when allies agree and conditions are met,” but it will be allowed to bypass the so-called Membership Action Plan that is usually required for candidate members.

“We reaffirm the commitment we made at the 2008 summit in Bucharest that Ukraine will become a member of NATO, and today we recognize that Ukraine’s path to full Euro-Atlantic integration has moved beyond the need for the Membership Action Plan,” the statement read.

Ukraine has become “increasingly interoperable and politically integrated with the US-led bloc,” it stated. It also outlined the need for “additional democratic and security sector reforms” in the country. 

“The alliance will support Ukraine in making these reforms on its path towards future membership. We will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance when allies agree and conditions are met,” the statement concluded.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg further elaborated on the matter at a press conference, stating that the bloc must first ensure that Ukraine achieves a “victory” in its ongoing conflict with Russia. Should Kiev not succeed, its NATO membership will be out of the question, he warned.

EU support for Ukraine will wane – bloc member’s president

Czech Republic’s Petr Pavel said Kiev has “window of opportunity” in its counteroffensive against Russia until end of the year

Ukraine should aim to regain as much territory as it can from Russia before the end of the year as it may not have a second chance at a counteroffensive, Czech President Petr Pavel has warned. He cited general “war fatigue” and the upcoming presidential elections stateside as potential reasons why Kiev’s backers may have less of an appetite for a continuation of hostilities.

In an interview with Britain’s Sky News TV channel broadcast on Tuesday, Pavel acknowledged that while “in an ideal world” he would want to see Ukraine regain control of all its territories within its 1991 borders, this may not be realistic.

He added that the situation will likely look “slightly different,” with Kiev ready to start talks with Moscow “once they expire all the possibilities of advancing.” 

The official went on to predict that Russian President Vladimir Putin would probably arrive at the same conclusion at some point, with neither Ukraine nor Russia being interested in a frozen conflict.

“So, what Ukraine is now aiming for is to get control of as much territory as possible by the end of this year, because then we’ll have an entirely different situation,” the Czech president explained.

According to the official, who previously served as a top NATO military commander, Kiev will have a hard time mustering forces for a second counteroffensive.

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West blamed for Ukraine’s counteroffensive shortcomings

Moreover, Western backers’ military support for Ukraine may diminish, not least because of the upcoming presidential election stateside, Pavel explained.

Commenting on President Joe Biden’s decision last week to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions, US Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl acknowledged that “things are going a little slower than some had hoped” in terms of Kiev’s present counteroffensive.

Speaking to CNN earlier last week, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky accused Western backers of not providing his country with sufficient weapons quickly enough, resulting in the ongoing military operation being “slowed down.”

The Financial Times reported last month that Western officials had been unimpressed by Kiev’s battlefield performance. The paper’s sources claimed that long-term Western support for Ukraine would be contingent on the eventual outcome of the counteroffensive.

Russia’s Defense Ministry, in turn, has reported that its forces have so far successfully repelled the push, which began in early June.

Zelensky attacks NATO

The Ukrainian president has condemned the US-led bloc for its reluctance to offer Kiev immediate membership

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has accused NATO of not showing enough “respect” as he lashed out at the US-led bloc for its unwillingness to offer Kiev immediate membership.  

Zelensky launched his broadside on Tuesday as NATO began its summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. The Ukrainian president cited “signals” he had received which indicated Kiev would not be granted an invitation of any sort to join the bloc. 

“We value our allies. We value our shared security. And we always appreciate an open conversation. Ukraine will be represented at the NATO summit in Vilnius. Because it is about respect. But Ukraine also deserves respect,” Zelensky said in a statement on social media. 

It’s unprecedented and absurd when [a] time frame is not set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine’s membership. While at the same time vague wording about ‘conditions’ is added even for inviting Ukraine.

According to reports, the most recent version of a draft communiqué by NATO states that it “will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine when allies agree and conditions are met.” Such a stance appears unacceptable to Kiev, which has accused the bloc of playing into Russia’s hands. 

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NATO chief fudges Ukraine membership bid

“It seems there is no readiness neither to invite Ukraine to NATO nor to make it a member of the Alliance. This means that a window of opportunity is being left to bargain Ukraine’s membership in NATO in negotiations with Russia,” Zelensky wrote.

The outburst from the Ukrainian leader has reportedly not gone down well with Western diplomats at the summit in Vilnius. “I am critical of many aspects and particularly of some allies’ attitude, but I think that this is not a thoughtful and fair approach,” a senior diplomat from Central Europe told Politico, claiming that Zelensky “is going too far.”

NATO has sent already enough signals that it is ready to accept Ukraine into its ranks at some point, another diplomat told the outlet. “Whatever the wording in our communiqué, all allies are agreed that Ukraine’s future rightful place is in NATO and only us and them can decide on this,” he said.

Most Germans dissatisfied with government – poll

A recent survey indicated that most supporters of the three parties of the ruling coalition are unhappy

The majority of Germans are unimpressed by the performance of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government, a recent poll has shown. Dissatisfaction with the ruling traffic light coalition is apparently prevalent even among the voters who support the three constituent parties.

According to the survey conducted by Institut Forsa and published on Tuesday, 77% of respondents said they were somewhat or completely dissatisfied with the government.

The study found that 52% of SPD party voters, the political force that Chancellor Scholz belongs to, are dissatisfied. Among Green Party and Free Democratic Party supporters, which make up the rest of the ruling coalition, were those dissatisfied at 55% and 71% respectively.

The poll commissioned by RTL and NTV media outlets drew on responses from 1,002 people last Thursday through Friday.

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Poll reveals industrialized world’s least-trusted government

61% of the Germans polled agreed with the assessment that the government was acting unprofessionally and chaotically, the survey indicated.

Last month, a poll by public broadcaster ARD revealed that only 20% of Germans supported the federal government.

Those dissatisfied accused the officials of taking too long to solve pressing issues, as well as failing to set a direction for the country. Some also voiced opposition to the government’s controversial plan to replace millions of home-heating systems throughout the country and its growing military support for Ukraine.

Against this backdrop, as many as 18% of the respondents said they would vote for the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, putting it level with the ruling Social Democrats Party (SPD).

In the 2021 elections, the party garnered 10.3% of votes.

Two-thirds of the Germans polled noted, however, that they did not fully back the AfD’s policies, supporting it merely out of frustration with mainstream parties and the federal government.