Washington, Vilnius In the afternoon, thousands of people formed a seemingly endless queue in the old town of the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. Anyone who wanted to experience US President Joe Biden live had to have stamina this Wednesday. When Biden stepped in front of the crowd around 8 p.m. local time, his audience waved the Lithuanian and Ukrainian flags as well as those of the USA.
In the speech after the official end of the NATO summit, for which Biden had traveled to Lithuania, the US President was optimistic – possibly also to appease Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He had hoped that the summit would give his country a concrete invitation to join the military alliance – knowing full well that accession can only take place after the end of the war.
In the end, however, this did not happen, mainly because of resistance from the USA and Germany. This controversy, which dominated the content of the summit, shows once again that the defense alliance is facing ever greater challenges.
Accordingly, Biden once again clearly assured Ukraine of US support for defense against the Russian war of aggression. “We will not falter,” Biden said. “Our commitment to Ukraine will not falter, we will stand up for freedom and independence, today, tomorrow and as long as it lasts,” the US President said. Speaking of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, Biden said he bet NATO would break up and still doesn’t understand that the allies would never back down from their values.
Biden said Russia could “end the war tomorrow” by withdrawing its troops from Ukraine, but Putin still believes he can outlast Ukraine. But NATO is stronger, more energetic and more united than ever, according to Biden, and remains a “bulwark of global security and stability”. The security of Europe is crucial for the United States, said Biden, and the relationship between the two regions is an “anchor for global stability”.
Relaxed in tone, clear in demeanor
Biden was more relaxed in public, but no less firm in his attitude than before during the meeting with the heads of state and government of the other NATO countries and partners. The aim of his participation in the summit was to once again send a signal of strength and unity against Putin. At the same time, the US President, who is fighting for re-election to the White House, wanted to demonstrate America’s will to lead the Western military alliance.
But the open controversy surrounding Ukraine’s NATO membership shows that the international defense coalition has to solve increasingly complex problems. NATO members agreed on Tuesday that they will support Ukraine on its way to accession.
However, no timetable or specific conditions were mentioned in the relevant communiqué. The alliance merely decided to remove the conditions contained in the Membership Action Plan (MAP) and set up a NATO-Ukraine Council to upgrade the existing NATO-Ukraine Commission.
The US is Ukraine’s biggest helper. Nevertheless, Biden does not comply with all of Selenski’s demands – also for domestic political reasons.
(Photo: dpa)
Selenski initially expressed disappointment and called the plan “absurd”. At a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, however, he thanked NATO for its military support and the abolition of the MAP. In return, Kiev is to advance reforms in various areas.
>> Read here: “The waiting room is a dangerous place” – How the West wants to protect Ukraine until it joins NATO
Biden’s European director on the White House National Security Council, Amanda Sloat, described the NATO communiqué as “unprecedented” and a positive signal. She stressed that all NATO members would recognize “that Ukraine has already made significant progress in the reform process”.
NATO membership unrealistic in the near future
Will it take five years, ten years? That’s what Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan was asked in Vilnius. “I can’t give a timeline,” Sullivan replied. “The point here is that democratic and security policy reforms are tackled properly.”
It is unrealistic for Ukraine to join NATO in the foreseeable future, Douglas Lute, the US ambassador to NATO during Barack Obama’s term in office, told the Handelsblatt. “Ukraine has demonstrated its military prowess, but it is an emerging democracy. Individual liberties and the rule of law are emerging.” Lute did not expect the US government’s stance to change in the near future.
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Biden’s Ukraine course is under increasing pressure in his own homeland. So far, the Ukrainian counter-offensive has not brought the hoped-for breakthrough, and 17 months after the Russian invasion there is no end in sight to the war.
The attempted coup in Russia and the skirmishes surrounding Ukraine’s Zaporizhia nuclear power plant have also alarmed Washington. The events of the past few weeks have shown the escalation potential of the war, explained high-ranking US government officials – and thus the need for a quick end to the war.
>> Read here: “Indecisiveness is weakness” – Nato disappoints Kiev
So far, the US government has been pursuing a so-called “containment strategy”: On the one hand, the US wants to prevent Ukraine from falling to Russia. On the other hand, they want to avoid a direct military conflict between the West and Russia. That is why the United States is slowing down with certain weapon systems, such as with fighter jets.
Approval in the US for Ukraine aid falls
Last week, however, the USA agreed to supply internationally banned cluster bombs in order to speed up the counteroffensive. This move shows the pressure the US government is under to secure support for Ukraine’s defense.
>> Read here: What makes cluster bombs so dangerous?
Because by autumn at the latest, the US Congress will have to negotiate a new aid package. So far, the US has been the mainstay of Ukraine’s defense, approving $113 billion in funds since the war broke out. The vast majority of MPs and senators from both parties support the transfers, but a group of Republicans have announced their intention to block aid to Ukraine.
Because of the narrow majorities in Congress, they could at least delay the funds and bring about a government shutdown. If the Ukrainian counter-offensive fails, parts of the US government fear that support for the aid, which has so far been bipartisan, could falter.
Biden could come under pressure in election year 2024 to push harder for a truce and a diplomatic solution. A majority of US citizens still supports the course of their president. But sentiment is changing: At the start of the war, just 7 percent of US citizens believed the US was giving Ukraine “too much” aid, compared to 28 percent, according to a Pew Research poll.
More: Comment: Ukraine is paying the price for NATO’s inertia