PUTIN'S WAR: "There are rumors here that ..." NATO summit? What the Russians expect now

PUTIN'S WAR: "There are rumors here that ..." NATO summit? What the Russians expect now
US President Joe Biden will host the NATO summit in Washington starting Tuesday. His presidential challenger, Donald Trump, will not be there, but will still be omnipresent. Some of the planned summit resolutions show how the alliance is preparing for a possible Trump victory in the presidential election in November.
"Trump-proof" Ukraine aid from Wiesbaden
The heads of state and government want to adopt a plan that will ensure aid to Ukraine even in the event of a Trump victory. This will mean that the Europeans will take on more responsibility from the USA. NATO wants to coordinate its arms deliveries to Ukraine and the training of Ukrainian soldiers in Europe from a new headquarters in the Hessian state capital Wiesbaden.
Greater burden sharing between Europe and the USA
It is not only since Trump's first term that US presidents have been demanding that allies in Europe invest significantly more in their own security. As proof that the Europeans have "understood", NATO cites the increased number of 23 of the 32 member states that are spending at least two percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defense this year.
With an estimated 2.1 percent, Germany is meeting the NATO quota for the first time since the end of the Cold War. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) can point to the Berlin budget agreement, according to which, according to him, the NATO quota will be met permanently.
Poland and the Baltic states are already pushing for a higher target of up to three percent. If Trump becomes president again, this target could "come quicker," says one diplomat.
Ukraine must continue to wait for NATO accession
The invitation to join that Ukraine had hoped for will not be granted in Washington either. The main reason is the USA and Germany's fear of a confrontation with Russia. Trump is seen as an opponent of Ukraine's accession and wants to make a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war.
At the NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius a year ago, the allies agreed on the wording "to invite Ukraine to join the alliance if the allies agree and the conditions are met." The Eastern Europeans wanted a more concrete formulation and to speak of an "irreversible" path for Ukraine to join NATO. However, according to diplomats, this is not a consensus. The US proposal to describe the aid to Ukraine as a "bridge to membership" is likely to prevail.
More Patriots expected for Kyiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is to be appeased at the summit by promises of further military aid. Zelensky has asked NATO partners for seven Patriot air defense systems to defend against Russian attacks. The alliance hopes to get six of them together.
Germany and Romania are each providing a Patriot battery, and the Netherlands is working with partners on a third. Italy wants to deliver a comparable SAMP/T system. According to media reports, the USA is considering an agreement with Israel to hand over older Patriot systems to Ukraine.
Limited billion-euro commitments for Ukraine
The heads of state and government want to promise Ukraine military aid worth 40 billion euros at the summit. Unlike what NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg proposed, the aid is initially limited to one year. According to diplomats, the aid will be reviewed annually starting at the NATO summit in The Hague next year. Germany has already pledged eight billion euros for the current year and therefore believes that its target has been met for the time being.
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Video created in 2024