NATO: Ukraine is on an 'irreversible path' to NATO membership

NATO allies announced on Wednesday that on the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the alliance, which is accompanied by political uncertainties in the United States, they have begun transferring F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine and have increased their promises to Kyiv regarding potential membership in the alliance. At this three-day gathering in the U.S. capital, which began on Tuesday evening, U.S. President Joe Biden firmly stated amid cheers from the audience that 'do not be mistaken. Ukraine can, and will be able to, stop Putin.' More promises were made to Ukraine at this summit, and it was announced that the country is on an 'irreversible path toward full integration into Europe and the West, including NATO membership.' Ukraine has sought NATO membership for years but has not yet succeeded. NATO, as a military alliance, considers an attack on one member as an attack on all members. However, Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed concerns that accepting Kyiv at this time would effectively mean entering into war with nuclear-armed Russia, as the country has occupied parts of Ukrainian territory. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a few days after the Labour Party's victory in elections, promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that his domestic policy, unlike the United States, is united in support of Ukraine. Starmer stated that he has no problem with Ukraine using British missiles to attack Russian territory, remarks that provoked a strong reaction from Moscow. Mr. Starmer told reporters that this summit shows Putin that NATO is 'now bigger than ever, more united than ever, and fully aware of the threat of Russian aggression.' On Thursday, Biden announced that Denmark and the Netherlands have begun sending U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. Biden had previously also announced the delivery of new air defense systems to Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the transfer of F-16s 'focuses Vladimir Putin's mind on the reality that he will not outlast us in Ukraine.' Mr. Trump stated in an interview with Fox News that the U.S. is not leaving NATO, saying, 'I just want them to pay their bills. We protect Europe. They are taking advantage of us.' Trump had pressured Republican members of Congress to halt military aid to Ukraine. Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, on Tuesday urged U.S. leaders not to wait until November and the outcome of the U.S. presidential elections to help his country counter Russian military aggression. Mr. Zelensky, during a speech at the Ronald Reagan Institute and ahead of the annual NATO summit, said, 'Everyone is waiting for November. Americans are waiting for November; in Europe, the Middle East, the Pacific region, the whole world is watching the November elections. Even Putin is waiting for November.' Zelensky's remarks about military assistance to Ukraine came as NATO Secretary-General referenced the Ukraine war, expecting members of the organization to agree on a substantial support package for the country. The U.S. will deploy long-range missiles in Germany starting in 2026. The United States and Germany say they will take significant actions to counter increasing Russian threats. Washington announced on Tuesday that it will begin deploying long-range missiles and other weapons in Germany in 2026. This is the most powerful weaponry that Washington has sent to Germany since the Cold War and will be stationed in Europe. Reuters described the delivery of these weapons to Europe as a clear warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a joint statement, the U.S. and Germany noted that this weaponry includes advanced long-range hypersonic missiles and will be stationed in Europe for a long time. This action contradicts the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which was signed between the U.S. and the Soviet Union in 1987 and was also terminated in 2019. Biden: We will provide five new air defense systems to Ukraine. The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, signed by Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan, was the first agreement between the two superpowers to reduce arms. Vladimir Putin had previously threatened that Russia would resume the production of intermediate and short-range missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads in response to news about the transfer of U.S. missiles to Europe and Asia. NATO members stated in a statement on Wednesday that they cannot ignore the possibility of attacks on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of their allies. They also emphasized that in the coming year, they will send at least 40 billion euros (43.28 billion dollars) in military aid to Ukraine. U.S. President Biden stated in his speech on Tuesday that NATO is 'stronger than ever' and that Ukraine, with the full and collective support of NATO members, can stop Russian President Vladimir Putin. Biden also said on Wednesday that he is 'happy that all NATO members are committed to expanding their industrial bases for defense production.' Biden stated, 'We cannot allow the alliance to fall behind. We will defend every inch of NATO territory, and we will do this together.' The 75th anniversary ceremony of NATO's establishment is taking place in Washington amid uncertainty regarding the future leadership of the United States, which has worried NATO allies. While Biden seeks to rally allies and domestic support, several senior European officials met with a senior foreign policy adviser to Trump during the NATO meeting. Trump had previously threatened that if European countries do not pay their desired share in NATO, he would not only not support Europe against a potential Russian attack but would even encourage Putin to take such action. As a result, there are many uncertainties about the future of NATO if Trump wins the November elections. Ukraine's attacks on several Russian regions; Moscow is 'losing control over Crimea.' Strong criticism of China. NATO members' statement reiterated its previous tone regarding China's role in the Ukraine war, stating that Beijing has helped empower Russia in this war and continues to create systemic challenges for Euro-Atlantic security. Jens Stoltenberg, NATO's Secretary-General, told reporters that this is the first time that 32 NATO allies jointly consider China a determining factor in Russia's war, and this is an important message for Beijing. He stated that NATO is not an organization that imposes sanctions, adding, 'Ultimately, this decision is for allies to implement individually, but I think the message we are sending from this summit to [Beijing] is very clear.' NATO members also expressed concern about China's space capabilities, warning about the rapid expansion of its nuclear arsenal. In response to these statements, a spokesperson for the Chinese mission to the European Union sharply reacted to the NATO leaders' statement, describing it as 'warmongering rhetoric, a Cold War mentality, and provocative lies' about China. This week, China has been conducting exercises with Belarus on NATO's eastern border, which is a sign of escalating tensions between Beijing and this U.S.-led defense alliance. According to Agence France-Presse, given the weak relations between NATO on one side and China and Russia on the other, analysts believe that Beijing intends to send a warning message to NATO with the timing of these exercises. These exercises, labeled 'anti-terrorist,' began on July 9 in Brest, Belarus, a city right on the border with Poland, and will continue until mid-July. The issue of the IRGC and the terrorist list. Israeli media reported that the foreign ministers of the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Sweden, and Denmark promised in separate meetings on July 10, on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington, to advance the listing of the IRGC as a terrorist organization. Mr. Katz, following these meetings, told Israeli media that 'significant progress' has been made regarding European countries' readiness to label the IRGC as terrorist. Mr. Katz went to the Washington meeting with the aim of requesting NATO leaders to expand sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran and to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization on the list of the alliance's members. According to Israeli media, Kaspar Feldkamp, the new Dutch foreign minister who was previously the ambassador of the Netherlands in Israel, told his Israeli counterpart that the Hague government shares Israel's concerns about Iran and will work to label the IRGC as terrorist in the European Union. NATO leaders condemned military cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran, North Korea, and Belarus with Russia in the final resolution of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the alliance. The resolution emphasized that Iran and North Korea's military-technical cooperation with Russia has serious implications for the security of the Euro-Atlantic area and undermines the non-proliferation treaty. The text added that Iran's military-technical cooperation with Russia poses a significant risk of escalating the situation. NATO emphasizes that Iran and North Korea, by providing direct military support to Russia, including munitions, missiles, and drones, 'fuel Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine.'