Situation at a glance: Selenskyj sees Ukraine on the way to NATO – Kremlin warns

After the NATO summit in Washington, Ukraine sees itself strengthened in its fight against the Russian war of aggression. Until the country joins the military alliance, Ukraine will rely on security agreements with NATO states, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in Washington after the summit and after talks with US President Joe Biden, among others. Ukraine will continue to make progress in developing its own security architecture.

At the end of their summit, the heads of state and government of the 32 NATO countries pledged support to Ukraine until it defeats Russia. The alliance is determined to support Ukraine in building a military force capable of ending Russian aggression, according to a statement released after a meeting with Zelensky. Ukraine’s fight for its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity contributes directly to Euro-Atlantic security. NATO’s support will continue for as long as necessary.

The declaration once again highlights the decisions made at the NATO summit to strengthen Ukraine. With these, the alliance states promise to provide military aid worth 40 billion euros again within the next year. Ukraine is also assured that it can no longer be stopped on its way to joining the defense alliance. Both of these things are also intended to show Russian President Vladimir Putin that he should not count on NATO ever getting tired of supporting Ukraine.

In his closing press conference, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg described the summit as a “turning point”. Ukraine had experienced a difficult winter and spring because delays and gaps in arms and ammunition deliveries had consequences on the battlefield. “We will not allow this to happen again,” he said.

Ukraine wants to release Western weapons for shelling Russia

At a press conference with Stoltenberg, Zelensky once again called for the lifting of all restrictions on the use of Western weapons against Russian territory. “If we want to win and protect our country, then all these restrictions must be lifted,” he stressed. This primarily concerns military bases in the Russian hinterland, from which rocket attacks such as those on the capital Kiev on Monday are launched. “If they attacked us and killed our children, it is crazy to ask why we are not allowed to attack this military base,” said Zelensky.

Ukraine is defending itself against the Russian invasion with massive Western support. Several allies have supplied Kyiv with longer-range rockets and cruise missiles, but have limited their area of ​​operation to Russian areas bordering Ukraine.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), however, rejected Zelensky’s demand to lift all restrictions on the use of Western weapons against Russian territory. “Nobody is planning to change the current standards and guidelines – for good reason,” said Scholz at the end of the NATO summit in Washington. “It is always our job to ensure that we support Ukraine as much as possible, but prevent the war from escalating into a war between Russia and NATO. And that requires wisdom, clarity and firmness.”

USA provides Ukraine with further military aid

The USA is meanwhile providing Ukraine with further military aid to defend against the Russian war of aggression. The new package, worth 225 million US dollars (around 207 million euros), includes the Patriot air defense system already announced by the USA, as well as anti-aircraft missiles from the Nasams system, Himars multiple rocket launchers and artillery ammunition with calibers of 155 and 105 millimeters, the US government announced. The weapons are said to come from US military stocks.

Shortly before the announcement, US President Biden and Zelensky met for talks on the sidelines of the NATO summit. The US and other NATO countries had already promised Ukraine extensive equipment to defend against Russian air attacks at the start of the summit. Since the start of the Russian war of aggression, the US has provided Kiev with military aid totaling more than 53.7 billion US dollars (around 49.4 billion euros), according to the Pentagon.

Federal government: US weapons needed in Germany

The Chancellor, Vice Chancellor and Defense Minister of the traffic light government agree: The stationing of long-range US weapons in Germany, announced on the sidelines of the summit, is an effective contribution to deterring Russian aggression. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) told the ZDF “heute journal” at the NATO summit in Washington: “We have a new threat situation. Vladimir Putin has shown what he is willing and able to do.”

The minister told ARD’s “Tagesthemen” that there could be no talk of a new arms race. “Russia has been stationing these weapons systems for some time now, among other places – as we suspect – in Kaliningrad, which means within absolute range of Germany and other European nations.”

The USA wants to arm Germany to protect Europe. Chancellor Scholz and his deputy Robert Habeck (Greens) see this as a necessity. “We know that there has been an incredible build-up of arms in Russia, with weapons that threaten European territory,” said Scholz in Washington. Habeck said that the Russian build-up “obviously also threatens NATO’s eastern flank.” “So Russia is not a peace partner at the moment,” he told the newspaper “Neue Westfälische” (Friday edition).

Moscow is about 1,600 kilometers as the crow flies from Berlin. From 2026, Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of up to 2,500 kilometers, SM-6 anti-aircraft missiles and newly developed supersonic weapons will provide better protection for NATO allies in Europe.

Kremlin criticizes plans for US weapons in Germany

Russia responded to the planned stationing of US weapons in Germany with warnings and threats. “We are well on our way to a cold war. All of this has happened before,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov told Russian state television. He accused Germany, the USA, France and Great Britain of being directly involved in the conflict over Ukraine.

“All this is being done with the aim of undermining our country. All this is being done to ensure our strategic defeat on the battlefield,” Peskov stressed. Russia must take all this into account. “This is not a reason for pessimism. On the contrary: this is an opportunity to pull ourselves together and use all the rich potential we have to achieve all the goals we have set for ourselves in the course of the special military operation.”

This refers to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, with which Moscow wants to prevent Kiev from joining NATO, among other things. Russian diplomats had previously threatened a counter-reaction from Russia and warned of a new arms race.