Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky will make a surprise visit to Brussels this Wednesday, where he will take part in the meeting of NATO defense ministers at the Atlantic Alliance headquarters.
Zelensky said his visit to NATO headquarters would be “critical” in ensuring Ukraine’s protection this winter as the country prepares for an intensification of Russian attacks.
NATO defense ministers are meeting to decide on Ukraine’s pressing needs, but part of the meeting will be filled with the recent escalation between Israel and Hamas and its implications for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
With winter approaching and this season’s expected low temperatures, the defense ministers of the 31 countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), plus Sweden and Ukraine as guests, want to find a way to prevent Russia from strategy of bombing critical infrastructure and severely punishing the well-being of the Ukrainian population.
“We want to ensure that Ukrainians have the air defense they need this winter to strengthen critical infrastructure and ensure that Russia does not force the Ukrainian people into the dark and cold,” said Julianne Smith, Ambassador to the United States in NATO. meeting with journalists in preparation for the meeting.
Early in the morning there will be a parallel meeting of the group of countries that have supplied F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine and/or provided pilot training. Portugal is part of the country that will provide training.
“I expect the focus will be on air defense and ammunition, although there is no doubt that the Ukrainians will come with varying requests,” the diplomatic representative said.
There are several issues on the table that concern Member States regarding Ukraine.
The delivery of fighter jets and training of pilots should be completed by the end of the year so that the Ukrainian armed forces can use this strengthening of military capabilities in the counter-offensive that began months ago but progress has been slower than expected. because of the defense lines that Moscow’s armed forces have set up.
However, the conflict has continued in the air, with hundreds of drone attacks by both sides in recent months and the intensification of Russian bombing in recent weeks.
Delaying the availability of fighter jets could damage the momentum of the counteroffensive, military and government officials in Kiev have repeatedly warned.
Ammunition and its scarcity in member states’ stockpiles, as well as its availability to Ukraine, remain a concern for NATO, exceeded only by North American uncertainty.
Since Washington curbed aid to Ukraine, member states have been dramatizing the consequences of losing “strong” support from what is the largest military power in the Atlantic Alliance.
And with the presidential election just over a year away, voices, especially within the North American Republican Party, about the cost of Ukrainian support are beginning to stir the corridors of NATO headquarters.
But the recent escalation between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, and its consequences for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will also draw the attention of allies.
The alliance’s 31 member states will discuss how it is possible to help Israel fight Hamas, an organization that NATO classifies as terrorist, while preserving the Palestinian population and reducing tensions.
Following last weekend’s massive bombings claimed by Hamas on Israeli territory and the Israeli population, concerns are now being linked to the possibility of a full-scale war on the territory of Gaza, a Palestinian enclave completely surrounded by Israeli forces.
The United States has already pledged to be available to support Israel in the fight against Hamas.
In statements ahead of the meeting, Julianne Smith sought to give her allies peace of mind, saying that the United States’ long-standing support for Ukraine is not at stake, nor is its support for Tel Aviv, nor is Congress’ abrupt halt in funding.
“The message that emerged from our meetings is clear: the United States will continue to support Ukraine for as long as necessary. And I believe our allies will appreciate hearing that message,” said Julianne Smith.
Portugal will be represented at the meeting in Brussels by the Minister of Defense, Helena Carreiras.
Source: DN
