Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
Hours after the end of the NATO summit in Lithuania, the US President arrived today, Thursday, in Finland, the latest member of the military alliance, and it came at a very important time and will witness an important meeting of leaders of several European countries with US President Joe Biden.
Especially after the international reactions to the results of the summit varied, in light of the assertion of some that the summit did not produce the expected results and did not live up to the level of Ukrainian hopes, which made the Ukrainian president direct sharp criticism of the leaders of NATO countries during the summit, who tried to export a message emphasizing the unity of ranks and continued support for Ukraine. Even if it comes to sending internationally armed weapons such as cluster bombs
US President Joe Biden arrived in Finland, the newly joined country to NATO, today, Thursday, where he is scheduled to hold meetings with the prime ministers of the Nordic countries.
The American New York Times reported - on its website - that Biden's visit to Finland comes after the "pivotal" meeting of NATO leaders in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, after Finland showed military rapprochement with the United States since the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine last year.
Biden's agenda includes a bilateral meeting with his Finnish counterpart, Sauli Niinisto, as well as a summit with leaders of other Nordic countries; Among them are the prime ministers of Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Sweden.
It is noteworthy that Biden considered the annual NATO summit in Vilnius a success, as the G7 allies agreed on a common framework for making long-term security pledges to Ukraine.
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky considered the results of the summit a "major security victory", but he expressed his disappointment that Kiev did not receive a direct invitation to join NATO.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denounced a statement by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in which he declared that the alliance would work with partners in Europe and Asia against Russia and China, stressing that this policy is useless.
Lavrov said - during a press conference following the Russia-ASEAN meeting in Jakarta today, Thursday, according to Russia Today news channel - that the basic documents of both the United States and NATO state that Russia and China constitute a threat and a challenge, stressing the need to address the violation. The direct principle of the United Nations Charter on the necessity of respect for and the sovereign equality of all states
Bloomberg reported that NATO leaders urged Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to remain calm following his sharp criticism of the alliance.
The agency said, quoting informed sources, that "NATO leaders called on Zelensky, during a joint dinner, on Tuesday evening in Vilnius, to" calm down "after his sharp criticism of NATO."
The agency pointed out that this came after Zelensky's statement that not specifying a time frame for Ukraine's membership in NATO is unprecedented and "ridiculous", as it is similar to the alliance's lack of desire for Ukraine to join it.
Andrei Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff, called the US President's National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, after the incident to urge the United States to redraft the final statement, but it was too late, as the text of the statement was approved before the Ukrainian delegation reached the summit.
Later, the NATO leaders sent a message to Zelensky during the dinner, stating: "You have to calm down and look at the full Western aid package," which included Western guarantees that Kiev would join the alliance, but without specifying a time frame, as well as new security guarantees by countries. Alliance and the Group of Seven.
It should be noted that the Americans were disturbed by Zelensky's statement, while the British are working to achieve détente and the Germans are trying to come up with alternative solutions to the situation.
Hungarian Defense Minister Krzysztof Salay Boprovnytsky announced that Ukraine has not received an invitation to join NATO because it is not ready for it.
"Ukraine did not get the invitation to join NATO this time because the situation is not appropriate, and Ukraine is not ready to be a member of NATO," Salai Borovnitsky said, in a video speech he posted on social networks.
And the NATO summit in Vilnius approved a long-term program to support Ukraine, as well as the formation of the NATO-Ukraine Council, and exempting it from implementing the conditions of the action plan for membership in NATO.
The alliance confirmed that Ukraine will be able to join NATO when the allies consider that the conditions are appropriate for that, and that it meets all the standards of the alliance.
NATO did not extend an official invitation to Kiev to join it.
Hungary had accused Ukraine of violating the rights of the Hungarian minority in the country, as it confirmed that it would not support Ukraine's accession to the European Union or NATO, until the rights of the Hungarians were restored.