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Were he to follow through on his promise, it would represent a sea-change for Slovakia, until now a staunch ally of its eastern neighbour Ukraine in its war against Russia. Bratislava has supplied weapons and offered strong political support to Kyiv within the European Union and NATO. Western diplomats and officials in Kyiv also say a small country like Slovakia can only go so far in upending EU and NATO policy. Disinformation, meanwhile, has spread, undermining public support for Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion of 2022, said Katarina Klingova of think-tank Globsec. The hoax was debunked, but the reaction pointed to the influence that false information surrounding the Ukraine war has among Slovakia's 5.5 million population.
Persons: Robert Fico, Radovan Stoklasa, Robert Fico's, Fico, Eleonora Tanacova, Viktor Orban, Orban, Katarina Klingova, Klingova, Andrew Gray, Thomas Balmforth, Mike Collett, White, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, NATO, EU, European Union, Russia, Moscow, Hungarian, Progressive, Ukraine, Thomson Locations: Banovce nad Bebravou, Slovakia, Russian, Ukraine Brussels, Ukraine, Slovakian, Russia, Bratislava, Kyiv, Crimea, EU, Brussels, Moscow, Donbas, Luhansk, Western, Europe, Hungary, Progressive Slovakia
[1/4] European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers the State of the European Union address to the European Parliament, in Strasbourg, France, September 13, 2023. Von der Leyen, who has been at the head of the bloc's executive Commission since the end of 2019, also said she would appoint an envoy to help small and medium-sized enterprises tackle red tape to make it easier to do business. Lawmakers gave a standing ovation after von der Leyen recounted the fate of Victoria Amelina, a Ukrainian writer and activist who was killed in a Russian attack on Ukraine. An upcoming package to support Europe's wind industry would be aimed at helping the sector as renewable energy companies struggle with steep inflation, von der Leyen said. Von der Leyen also said the wealthy bloc must engage more with African countries and accused Russia of stirring chaos in the Sahel region of the continent.
Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Yves Herman Acquire, Von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Victoria Amelina, Héctor Abad, Yves Herman, Jan Strupczewski, Marine Strauss, Foo Yun Chee, Kate Abnett, Gabriela Baczynska, Andrew Gray, Julia Payne, Philip Blenkinsop, Ingrid Melander, Nick Macfie, Alex Richardson Organizations: European, European Union, REUTERS, EU, STRASBOURG, EU Commission, Ukraine, Kyiv, Lawmakers, Thomson Locations: Strasbourg, France, Europe, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Colombian, China, Russia, Sahel, Africa, Brussels
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reacts on the day of the annual State of the European Union address to the European Parliament, in Strasbourg, France, September 13, 2023. European Commission President von der Leyen told the European Parliament that Ukraine had already made "great strides" since being designated a membership candidate last year, even as it fights to repel Russia's invasion. But candidate countries have to meet a string of political and economic criteria to begin membership talks - and must fulfil more stringent conditions on democracy, the rule of law and economic standards - before they can actually join the EU. "For Ukraine, the biggest obstacle is Hungary and the discussion around national minorities," a senior EU diplomat said on condition of anonymity. On Wednesday, von der Leyen outlined a vision of a European Union that would include not only Ukraine, but also Moldova and countries of the Western Balkans.
Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Yves Herman Acquire, von der Leyen, Viktor Orban, Peter Szijjarto, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Gabriela Baczynska, Andrew Gray, Andreas Rinke, Nick Macfie Organizations: European Union, REUTERS, Rights, ., EU, European Commission, Kyiv, OTP Bank, West, European, Thomson Locations: State, Strasbourg, France, Rights BRUSSELS, EU, European Union, Ukraine, Hungary, Germany, Kyiv, Hungarian, Moscow, Budapest, Moldova, Western Balkans
REUTERS/Mahamadou Hamidou Acquire Licensing RightsTOLEDO, Spain, Aug 31 (Reuters) - European Union foreign ministers meet in Spain on Thursday to discuss their response to last month's coup in Niger - including possible sanctions - as they also consider news of military officers declaring they have seized power in Gabon. Borrell said the EU was "moving forward" with work on a legal framework for sanctions against the junta in Niger and the foreign ministers would discuss it further on Thursday. Both the EU and ECOWAS have already imposed punitive economic and political measures on Niger but the framework would allow the EU to target specific individuals and organisations. Borrell said on Wednesday after an EU defence ministers' meeting that the EU would seek to mirror any measures taken by ECOWAS. Diplomats said another subject of discussion was how the EU should respond if ECOWAS asks for financial help for a military intervention to restore Niger's ousted government.
Persons: Ibro Amadou, Mahamadou, Dmytro Kuleba, Hassoumi Massoudou, Niger's, Omar Touray, Josep Borrell, Borrell, David Latona, Andrew Gray, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Nigerien, REUTERS, Rights, Union, Ukrainian Foreign, ECOWAS, Wednesday, West, EU, Diplomats, Thomson Locations: Niamey, Niger, Rights TOLEDO, Spain, Gabon, West, Central, Toledo, Ukraine, West Africa's, EU
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell delivers a speech during a ceremony opening EU's Partnership Mission in Chisinau, Moldova, May 31, 2023. "If this is confirmed, it is another military coup which increases instability in the whole region," said Borrell, speaking at a meeting of EU defence ministers in Toledo. "This is a big issue for Europe," he added. The signs of a coup in Gabon come just weeks after members of the presidential guard in Niger seized power and established a junta. Reporting by Andrew Gray, Sabine Siebold, Benoit Van Overstraeten; Writing by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Josep Borrell, Vladislav Culiomza, Ali Bongo, Andrew Gray, Sabine Siebold, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Sudip Kar, Conor Humphries Organizations: European Union for Foreign Affairs, REUTERS, Rights, Union, Gabonese, Central African, Thomson Locations: Chisinau, Moldova, Rights TOLEDO, Spain, Gabon, Toledo, Central African Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, it's, Europe
The German-made Leopards were at the centre of a public spat earlier this year after Belgian Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder said the government had explored buying back tanks to send to Ukraine but had been quoted unreasonable prices. Freddy Versluys, CEO of defence company OIP Land Systems, bought the tanks from the Belgian government more than five years ago. The German Defence Ministry had no immediate comment. Several of Kyiv's Western allies agreed earlier this year to send modern Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and also to send older Leopard 1 models. A spokesperson for the Belgian defence ministry declined to comment on the sale of the tanks.
Persons: Freddy Versluys, Read, Ludivine Dedonder, Germany's, Versluys, Krauss, Andrew Gray, Christoph Steitz, Sabine Siebold, Jonathan Oatis, Alex Richardson Organizations: OIP, Systems, Belgian, Leopards, Belgian Defence, Reuters, Rheinmetall, LinkedIn, NATO, German Defence Ministry, Maffei, Thomson Locations: Belgian, Ukraine, Wallonia, Germany, Tournais, Belgium, BRUSSELS, Vilnius
Ukrainian, Russian and international officials say there is no prospect of direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia at the moment, as the war continues to rage and Kyiv seeks to reclaim territory through a counter-offensive. Neither the Jeddah gathering - which is expected to begin on Friday, with the main discussions on Saturday and Sunday - nor the peace summit would involve Russia, officials say. Saudi Arabia, along with Turkey, played a mediation role in a major prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia last September. Zelenskiy attended an Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia in May this year, at which Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman expressed his readiness to mediate in the war. A second senior EU official said Saudi Arabia reached "into parts of the world where (Ukraine's) classical allies would not get to as easily".
Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Leo Varadkar, Clodagh, Zhovkva, Zelenskiy, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jake Sullivan, Matt Miller, there's, Dmitry Peskov, Olena Harmash, Carien du Plessis, Gabriela Baczynska, Daphne Psaledakis, Laurie Chen, Martin Pollard, Jon Boyle Organizations: Ireland's, REUTERS, Global, Reuters, European Commission, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Russia, Arab, Saudi Crown, EU, . National, U.S . State, Thomson Locations: Horodetskyi, Ukraine, Kyiv, Jeddah, China, BRUSSELS, LONDON, Saudi Arabia, Russia, India, Brazil, South Africa, Turkey, Moscow, Copenhagen, Riyadh, United States, U.S
REUTERS/Yves Herman/File PhotoBRUSSELS, Aug 1 (Reuters) - EU nuclear agency Euratom said on Tuesday it saw no immediate risk to nuclear power production in Europe should Niger cut its deliveries of uranium. It said utilities in the bloc had enough uranium inventories to fuel its nuclear power reactors for three years. "If imports from Niger are being cut, there are no immediate risks to the security of nuclear power production in the short term," said Euratom. Euratom said that in 2022 Niger delivered 2,975 tU of natural uranium, or 25,4% of the EU's supplies. The agency said natural uranium equivalent in inventories owned by EU utilities last year totalled 35,710 tU, compared to average annual consumption of around 12,500 tU.
Persons: Yves Herman, Euratom, Gabriela Baczynska, Andrew Gray, Ed Osmond Organizations: European Commission, REUTERS, EU, Reuters, European Union, European, Canada, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, BRUSSELS, Europe, Niger, African, France, Kazakhstan, Canada, Australia, Namibia
EU ready to re-engage with Turkey, but sets conditions
  + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
BRUSSELS, July 20 (Reuters) - European Union foreign ministers agreed on Thursday that the bloc should re-engage with Turkey, but set some conditions and did not endorse Ankara's calls to revive its moribund membership bid. Turkey has been an official candidate to join the EU for 24 years, but accession talks have stalled since 2016 over the bloc's concerns about human rights violations and respect for the rule of law. "We discussed how to re-engage with Turkey," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a press conference after a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers in Brussels. "We are convinced there is a reciprocal interest to develop a stronger relationship between Turkey and the European Union." But he noted the EU wanted Turkey to show movement too, especially on the issue of EU member Cyprus, the northern part of which was invaded by Turkey in 1974 and has since been under occupation.
Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Josep Borrell, Borrell, Jan Strupczewski, Andrew Gray, Paul Simao Organizations: Union, EU, NATO, European Union, European Convention of Human, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Turkey, Turkish, EU, Brussels, Cyprus, Nations, Ankara
BRUSSELS, July 19 (Reuters) - European Union foreign ministers are expected to discuss a proposal on Thursday to spend up to 20 billion euros ($22.4 billion) on weapons, ammunition and other military aid for Ukraine over four years. The fund has already allocated more than 5 billion euros in support for Ukraine since February last year. An EU official said the aim was to provide more military aid to Ukraine "on a more predictable and sustainable basis". The Peace Facility is used to reimburse EU countries for at least part of the cost of weapons, ammunition and other military aid they give to nations outside the bloc. Diplomats said they expect EU governments to consider the plan alongside a proposal from the European Commission, the bloc's executive, to provide 50 billion euros in economic aid to Ukraine over the same four-year period.
Persons: Josep Borrell, Borrell, Andrew Gray, Jan Strupczewski, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Union, Kyiv, NATO, Peace, Ukraine, EU, Ukraine Defence Fund, Diplomats, European Commission, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Ukraine, Vilnius, EU, Kyiv, Spain
July 18 (Reuters) - The European Union (EU) said on Tuesday that Europe's slave-trading past inflicted "untold suffering" on millions of people and hinted at the need for reparations for what it described as a "crime against humanity". The idea of paying reparations or making other amends for slavery has a long history but the movement is gaining momentum worldwide. EU and CELAC agreed on one paragraph that acknowledged and "profoundly" regretted the "untold suffering inflicted on millions of men, women and children as a result of the transatlantic slave trade". It said slavery and the transatlantic slave trade were "appalling tragedies ... not only because of their abhorrent barbarism but also in terms of their magnitude". The CARICOM reparations commission "sees the persistent racial victimisation of the descendants of slavery and genocide as the root cause of their suffering today", the plan said.
Persons: Ralph Gonsalves, Saint Vincent, CELAC's, CELAC, Dutch King Willem, Alexander, King Charles, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Catarina Demony, Belen Carreno, Andrew Gray, Grant McCool Organizations: European Union, EU, of, Caribbean, Caribbean Community, Thomson Locations: Portugal, Brazil, Caribbean States, Brussels, Grenadines, Dutch, Netherlands
That would mean the alliance itself would be at war, and leaders won't go that far. But by the end, after one-on-one meetings with U.S. President Joe Biden and other NATO leaders, Zelenskiy had softened his tone, describing the outcome as "good", though not "ideal". "It is very important: for the first time since independence, we have formed a security foundation for Ukraine on its way to NATO," Zelenskiy said, adding there had also been "a good reinforcement with weapons." On the summit's sidelines, Group of Seven countries unveiled an international framework to boost Ukraine's long-term security against Russia. A slew of other military packages were announced at bilateral meetings between Zelenskiy and NATO leaders.
Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Joe Biden, Neil Melvin, Biden, Putin, craven, Melvin, Mykhailo Podolyak, Olha Stefanishyna, Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Tom Balmforth, Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray, Anna Dabrowska Organizations: NATO, Russia, Kyiv, U.S, Ukraine Council, London, Royal United Services Institute, Reuters, Eastern, Ukraine, Thomson Locations: Ukrainian, Vilnius, Ukraine, U.S, Russia, Kyiv, NATO, Zelenskiy, Moscow, United States, Germany, Bucharest, Reuters Ukraine
VILNIUS, July 12 (Reuters) - NATO leaders at this week's summit in Vilnius said Ukraine should be able to join the military alliance at some point in the future but dashed Kyiv's hopes for an immediate invitation. Below are some of the main commitments pledged to Ukraine in connection with the summit. In a declaration, NATO countries also pledged its support for Ukraine for "as long as it takes". Britain will also launch a project through NATO to establish a medical rehabilitation centre for Ukrainian soldiers. NORWEGIAN SUPPORTNorway will increase its military support to Ukraine by 2.5 billion crowns ($239 million) this year to 10 billion.
Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Niklas Pollard, John Irish, Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray, Justyna, Alex Richardson Organizations: NATO, Ukraine Council, Ukraine, France, Challenger, GERMAN PATRIOTS German, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Vilnius, Ukraine, Russia, NATO, Kyiv, Moscow, Britain, Ukrainian, Denmark, Romania, Norway
Zelenskiy said: "Today there are security guarantees for Ukraine on the way to NATO...that shall be further extended through arrangements with our key partners. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the G7 move misguided and "potentially very dangerous" for the West to give Ukraine security guarantees, which it said would infringe on Russia's own security. The declaration said the G7 nations would begin bilateral talks with Ukraine immediately. "We will work with Ukraine on an enhanced package of security commitments and arrangements in case of future aggression to enable Ukraine to defend its territory and sovereignty," the G7 said. Germany has already said that it would initially provide 12 billion euros in military support for Ukraine through 2032, including 3.2 billion euros for 2023.
Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Joe Biden, Zelenskiy, Dmitry Peskov, Ben Wallace, Andrew Gray, Steve Holland, Sabine Siebold, Alex Richardson, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: NATO, REUTERS, Kremlin, Wednesday, Ukraine, Soviet Union, European Union, White, U.S, Kyiv, Israel, British, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Vilnius, Lithuania, VILNIUS, Russia, Moscow, Britain, France, Germany, United States, Soviet, Japan, Canada, Italy, Washington, Israel, Kyiv
NATO allies, instead, agreed that Ukraine would join eventually, when "allies agree and conditions are met," their statement said but offered no details on when, if ever, Kyiv would meet such conditions. Before leaving the United States to attend the summit, Biden bypassed allies' concerns about approving cluster munitions for Ukraine to battle Russia. Most Republicans seeking to unseat Biden have largely kept silent about Biden's performance during the NATO summit, suggesting they see little to gain by criticizing him. Trump has long admired Russian President Vladimir Putin and has expressed skepticism of extended U.S. involvement in the Ukraine war; on Tuesday he criticized Biden's decision to send munitions to Ukraine. Haley on Tuesday criticized the NATO alliance and Biden for not committing to add Ukraine.
Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, we've, Donald Trump, Ivo Daalder, Daalder, Trump, Vladimir Putin, Biden's, Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, Haley, Steve Holland, Trevor Hunnicutt, Jonathan Landay, Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray, John Irish, Heather Timmons, Howard Goller Organizations: NATO, White, Atlantic, TRUMP, Trump, Republican, Democrat, Chicago Council, Global Affairs, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Europe, U.S, Ukraine, Lithuania, Sweden, Western, Vilnius, Kyiv, United States, Russia, Washington, Cyprus, Asia
"Today there are security guarantees for Ukraine on the way to NATO," he said. "The Ukraine delegation is bringing home a significant security victory for Ukraine." Speaking earlier alongside Zelenskiy, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Ukraine was closer to the alliance than ever before, and brushed aside new warnings from Russia about the consequences of supporting Ukraine. The security assurances for Ukraine had to be "credible", he said, in order to deter Russia from future attacks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was "potentially very dangerous" for the West to give Ukraine security guarantees.
Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Joe Biden, we're, Biden, Zelenskiy, Jens Stoltenberg, Rishi Sunak, Yves Herman, Stoltenberg, Dmitry Peskov, Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin, John Irish, Steve Holland, Justyna Pawlak, Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray, Max Hunder, Gabriela Baczynska, Matthias Williams, Alex Richardson, William Maclean Organizations: Ukraine Ukrainian, Ukraine, NATO, Kyiv, U.S, British, REUTERS, Zelenskiy, Twitter, Thomson Locations: United States, Ukraine, U.S, VILNIUS, Russia, Russian, Germany, Japan, France, Canada, Italy, Britain, Zelenskiy, Vilnius, Lithuania, Budapest, Moscow, Netherlands, NATO, Kyiv, Soviet Union, Washington, Berlin, Europe
VILNIUS, July 12 (Reuters) - British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on Wednesday he had warned Ukraine that its international allies were "not Amazon" and Kyiv needed to show gratitude for weapons donations to persuade Western politicians to give more. London has been one of Kyiv's staunchest supporters since Russia's invasion last year, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said Britain and its allies will double down on its support for Ukraine. Wallace recalled that he had travelled last year to Ukraine, where he was presented with a shopping list of weapons. "We were always grateful to the UK, prime ministers and the minister of defence because the people are always supporting us," he said. Asked about Wallace's comments, Sunak said that Zelenskiy had been grateful for the support given so far and that more support would be forthcoming as required.
Persons: Ben Wallace, Kyiv's staunchest, Rishi Sunak, Wallace, Volodymyr Zelenskiy's, Zelenskiy, Sunak, John Irish, Kylie MacLellan, Alistair Smout, Mark Heinrich, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: British, Ukraine, U.S, NATO, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Ukraine, London, Britain, Lithuania, Vilnius
VILNIUS, July 11 (Reuters) - NATO will extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the military alliance when "members agree and conditions are met", Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference on Tuesday. Stoltenberg's comments reflected the language in a communique issued by NATO leaders on Tuesday at a summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said earlier in the day it would be "absurd" if NATO leaders did not offer his country a timeframe for membership. "If you look at all the membership processes, there have not been timelines for those processes. Reporting by Andrew Gray, writing by Tassilo Hummel; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Stoltenberg, Andrew Gray, Tassilo Hummel, Frank Jack Daniel, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: NATO, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Ukraine, Vilnius, Lithuania
VILNIUS, July 11 (Reuters) - NATO leaders have agreed at a summit in Vilnius that Ukraine's future lies within the alliance but stopped short of handing Kyiv the invitation or timetable for accession that the country has been seeking. At the same time, NATO dropped the requirement for Ukraine to fulfil a so-called Membership Action Plan (MAP), effectively removing a hurdle on Kyiv's way into the alliance. "Ukraine's future is in NATO," a declaration agreed by the leaders on Tuesday said, adding Kyiv's Euro-Atlantic integration had moved beyond the need for a Membership Action Plan. "We will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance when allies agree and conditions are met," the declaration said. Reporting by Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray and John Irish, Editing by Charlotte Van CampenhoutOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray, John Irish, Charlotte Van Campenhout Organizations: NATO, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Vilnius, Ukraine
VILNIUS, July 12 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy meets NATO leaders on Wednesday after they declared his country's future lay inside the alliance but rebuffed his call for a timeline to membership. Zelenskiy will join the NATO leaders on the second day of their summit in Vilnius for an inaugural session of the NATO-Ukraine Council, a body established to upgrade relations between Kyiv and the 31-member transatlantic military alliance. At a rally in Vilnius on Tuesday, Zelenskiy expressed disappointment that NATO had not offered a timeline to membership - a prospect he had earlier branded "absurd". Its leaders on Tuesday reiterated a 2008 declaration that Ukraine would join NATO but also made clear this would not happen automatically after the war ends. Although it did not get what it wanted on membership at the summit, Ukraine has received new pledges of arms from NATO members.
Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron, Andrius Sytas, Steve Holland, Anna Pruchnicka, Olena Harmash, Lewis Macdonald, Ronald Popeski, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: NATO, U.S, Twitter, Patriot, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Vilnius, Ukraine, Kyiv, United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, Europe, Russian, Paris
VILNIUS, July 10 (Reuters) - NATO allies on Monday reached agreement on defence plans detailing how the alliance would respond to a Russian attack, overcoming a Turkish hurdle one day before leaders meet for a summit in Vilnius, five diplomats told Reuters. NATO had for decades seen no need for large-scale defence plans, as it fought smaller wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and felt certain post-Soviet Russia no longer posed an existential threat. Turkey had been blocking approval of what NATO calls its regional plans over the wording on geographical locations such as Cyprus. NATO leaders gather in Vilnius on July 11-12 for a summit that will discuss Sweden's membership and the alliance's future relationship with Ukraine. By outlining its regional plans, NATO will also give nations guidance on how to upgrade their forces and logistics.
Persons: Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray, Andrius Sytas, John Irish, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: NATO, Reuters, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Vilnius, Afghanistan, Iraq, Soviet Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Turkey, Cyprus
VILNIUS, July 10 (Reuters) - Ukraine's largest Western allies are still finalising a joint framework that would pave the way for long-term security assurances for Kyiv, and may wait until the end of a NATO summit this week to announce them, European diplomats say. The 31-member NATO alliance meets in Lithuania on Tuesday, aiming above all to give Ukraine some kind of path to membership, but still divided over how far to go. But it wants a firm commitment at the summit that it will be invited to join after the war. In the meantime, it has sought assurances of current and long-term security commitments to help it defend itself now and deter renewed aggression from Moscow once the war ends. The United States' military aid for Israel is worth about $3.5 billion a year, but the relationship also entails a great deal of political support.
Persons: Joe Biden, Washington, Andrew Gray, Sabine Siebold, Alexander Ratz Organizations: Kyiv, NATO, European Union, European Union . U.S, CNN, United, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Lithuania, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Britain, France, Germany, United States, Japan, Canada, Italy, Israel, Berlin
[1/7] Top ranking official attendees of the NATO summit pose for a family picture in Bucharest April 3, 2008. And officials often cite the Bucharest declaration as a reference point. The parallels with the 2008 summit, held in the colossal Parliament Palace commissioned by Romanian communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, have struck many NATO-watchers. But others argue that promising Ukraine NATO membership after the war could encourage Putin to keep the conflict going. They say the Bucharest declaration in fact prompted Putin to test Western Ukrainian militarily in both Ukraine and Georgia.
Persons: Francois Lenoir, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Dmytro Kuleba, Nicolae Ceausescu, Orysia, Zelenskiy, Vladimir Putin, Putin, , Timothy Sayle, Andrew Gray, Kevin Liffey Organizations: NATO, REUTERS, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Chatham House, Russia, Ukraine NATO, University of Toronto, Thomson Locations: Bucharest, VILNIUS, Vilnius, Ukraine, Georgia, U.S, United States, France, Germany, Russia, Moscow, Soviet Union, NATO, Romanian, Russian, Eastern, Ossetia, Tbilisi, Crimea, Ukraine's
While NATO members agree Kyiv cannot join during the war, they have disagreed over how quickly it could happen afterwards and under what conditions. Negotiations have also focused on what conditions Ukraine would have to meet to join NATO and how its progress should be tracked, diplomats say. "I am absolutely certain that we will have unity and a strong message on Ukraine," Stoltenberg told reporters. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year prompted Nordic neighbours Finland and Sweden to abandon decades of military non-alignment and apply to join NATO. Sweden, backed by Stoltenberg and many NATO members, said it had kept all its undertakings to Turkey on the issue.
Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, General Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Maria Zakharova, Tayyip Erdogan, Ulf Kristersson, Erdogan, Kristersson, Ronald Popeski, Lidia Kelly, Stephen Coates Organizations: NATO, Diplomats, Alliance, Twitter, Russian Foreign, Nordic, Kurdistan Workers Party, EU, European Union, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Vilnius, Sweden, Lithuanian, Ukraine, Moscow, Eastern Europe, Russia, United States, Germany, NATO, Finland, Turkey, Ankara, Swedish
U.S. President Joe Biden, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will be among the 31 NATO leaders attending the summit in the small Baltic state. The invasion prompted Finland and Sweden to abandon decades of military non-alignment and apply to join NATO. In Vilnius, Finland will attend its first NATO summit as a member. At the summit, the NATO leaders are also expected to agree they should all spend at least 2% of national GDP on defence - an upgrade on a 2014 pledge to move towards that number. The NATO leaders will also meet with counterparts from Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand as Washington presses the alliance to play a greater role in countering China.
Persons: Joe Biden, Tayyip Erdogan, Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron, Rishi Sunak, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Erdogan, Ulf Kristersson, John Irish, Andrius Sytas, Huseyin Hayatsever, William Maclean Organizations: Russia VILNIUS, NATO, Patriot, U.S, British, Ukraine Council, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Soviet Union, Vilnius, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Vilnius, Sweden, Europe, Lithuanian, Germany, Prague, Eastern Europe, Russia, United States, Bucharest, France, Britain, TURKEY, SWEDEN, Soviet, Finland, Turkey, Stockholm, Ankara, Swedish, Greece, Cyprus, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Washington, China, Istanbul
Total: 25