In the midst of a surprise visit to Kiev, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg declared that Ukraine is “closer to NATO than ever” and President Volodymyr Zelensky said that eventual accession to the military alliance is only “a matter of of time”. In parallel, Russia decided to increase its defense budget by 68% in the context of the conflict with the neighboring country, an increase that includes the negotiation with Iran for the purchase of long-range missiles.
A surprise visit and some hopeful statements for Ukraine.
Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), arrived in kyiv on Thursday, September 28, to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky. At the meeting, he assured that Ukraine is “closer to NATO than ever.”
During the NATO summit last July, members of the organization simplified the process for the country to enter the military alliance; They also strengthened their political ties and agreed to more cooperation between their armed forces.
Stoltenberg said Thursday that “Ukraine’s future is in NATO. As we work together to prepare for that future, NATO will be with Ukraine for as long as necessary.” However, the alliance leader did not specify any timetable with regarding said integration.
For his part, Volodymyr Zelensky indicated that “it is only a matter of time before Ukraine becomes a member of the alliance.”
“We are doing everything possible to make that moment come,” added the Ukrainian president.
Joining NATO, a military alliance agreed in 1949 and which today has 31 members spread across Europe and North America, has been an objective for Ukraine since the late 2000s. In 2008, the country, concerned about potential trends Moscow imperialists, expressed his intention to join the organization.
The Russian aggression of February 2022 finally convinced Ukraine of the need to belong to NATO and the country made a first application with an accelerated process in September 2022.
I met with @JensStoltenberg in Kyiv.
Substantial talks, as they should be between de facto allies. It is only a matter of time before Ukraine becomes a de jure one as well.
We discussed strengthening Ukraine’s air defense further in order to protect people from Russian terror. pic.twitter.com/WxHdWWSsJw
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 28, 2023
The request was denied by the organization, which faces divisions and risks regarding the integration of Ukraine. Indeed, according to Article 5 of the NATO Charter, if a member is attacked, the others must come to its defense. A fundamental principle that, in the context of the war between Ukraine and Russia, would force the alliance to go to war against Moscow.
Ukraine is gaining ground in its counteroffensive: Stoltenberg
However, NATO already supports Ukraine militarily. Stoltenberg confirmed that the alliance launched contracts worth 2.4 billion euros to boost the manufacturing of ammunition, especially the 155-millimeter ammunition used in artillery, anti-tank guided missiles and tanks.
The leader of the military alliance also underlined the “collective effort” of all allies, whose military support to Ukraine already amounts to 100 billion euros, of which half comes from the US and the other half from the European allies and Canada.
Regarding combat effectiveness, the Secretary General assured that the Ukrainian counteroffensive launched in early June is working:
Today his forces advance. They face fierce combat, but little by little they gain ground. Every meter that Ukrainian forces recover is a meter that Russia loses
For his part, Zelensky took the opportunity to ask the Secretary General for more air defense systems to counter the “Russian attacks against the country’s energy infrastructure” that are expected in winter.
Russia increases its defense spending by 67.6%
While ties between NATO and Ukraine are strengthened, Russia announced, through the Ministry of Finance, that it will increase military spending by 67.65% by 2024: they will amount to 10.8 trillion rubles, that is, about 111.87 billion of dollars. A significant increase designed to counter the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
In this way, the expenses allocated to defense in 2024 will be the second most important in the total Russian budget, only surpassed by those for social policy.
“The structure of the budget shows that the main emphasis is on ensuring our victory,” Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said at the Moscow International Financial Forum on Thursday.
“This represents a considerable burden on the budget, but it is our absolute priority,” the official added.
An argument supported by Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov:
It is absolutely necessary, as we continue in a state of hybrid war unleashed against us, we continue the special military operation
In addition, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that, according to Ukrainian and Israeli intelligence sources, Russia is negotiating with Iran for the supply of long-range missiles, such as Fateh-110 and Zolfaghar. They have a range of 300 kilometers.
Those purchases could be made after October 18, when the UN resolution that prevented Tehran from exporting missiles with a range of more than 300 kilometers or missile technology under the 2015 nuclear deal expires.
The negotiations also include anti-missile systems, cruise missiles and drones.
The matter was reportedly discussed in mid-September, when the Russian defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, visited Tehran at a summit that the West followed with suspicion.
With AFP, EFE and local media
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