Politics
NATO convened a summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, with a focus on Ukraine’s desire to join the alliance. Despite opposition from certain members, particularly the United States and Germany, who were hesitant to provide a specific timeline, NATO pledged that Ukraine would eventually become a member, but only when “allies agree and conditions are met.” However, the process was promised to be expedited. Of greater significance was the commitment made by the G7 countries to provide Ukraine with the necessary weapons to defend itself against Russia during and after the war, as well as assistance in rebuilding its economy.
Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announced his support for Sweden’s bid to join NATO, reversing his previous opposition. Turkey was the last country in the alliance to resist Sweden’s membership. Prior to this change of stance, Erdogan faced widespread criticism for suggesting that he would only support Sweden if the European Union initiated new talks regarding Turkey’s aspiration to join the bloc. The United States offered a different incentive by promising to proceed with the supply of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey.
Ahead of the NATO summit, the United States declared its intention to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions for use in its conflict with Russia. Joe Biden acknowledged the difficulty of this decision due to the potential harm to civilians. Ukraine’s defense minister assured that the cluster bombs would not be utilized in urban areas.
2023-07-13 07:58:54
Original from www.economist.com
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