Finland is now officially the 31st member state of NATO.
(Photo: IMAGO/Lehtikuva)
Moscow After Finland’s official NATO accession, Chancellor Olaf Scholz expects Sweden to be included in the defense alliance soon. The federal government continues to assume that, in addition to Finland, its western neighbor Sweden will also participate as a new member at the NATO summit in July, Scholz said on Tuesday evening. “Sweden continues to have our full solidarity on this path.”
While the Ukrainian government sent congratulations to Helsinki, Russia says it is preparing countermeasures in response to Finland’s entry into the alliance.
“This is a historic step that strengthens the alliance as a whole and means more security in and for Europe,” Scholz said of Finland’s inclusion in the military alliance.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke of a “historic event for our region” and said in his evening video address: “The alliance is getting stronger on its eastern flank.”
Only collective and preventive security guarantees such as NATO membership are reliable, as the Russian attack on Ukraine has shown. “The speed of security decisions is important, and now we’re seeing how fast the procedures can be.”
Russia sees NATO expansion as a provocation
In the Kremlin, the expansion of the military alliance to include a neighboring Russian country is seen as a provocation. The state agency TASS quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Grushko as saying that any “responsible general staff” can react to different scenarios. “This includes scenarios that involve the deployment of combat troops or the appearance of foreign equipment on the territory of the country (Finland).” In any case, Finland will be included in NATO’s operational plans. “That will also be included in the planning process (of Russia).”
Russia has already announced that it will adjust its defense plans with Finland in mind.
(Photo: IMAGO/SNA)
Soon after Russian troops invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Finland and Sweden decided to give up their traditional non-alignment and join NATO. After much back and forth, Finland received the necessary approval from all 30 NATO countries, while Sweden is still waiting for the yes of Turkey and Hungary. Finland has a 1,340-kilometer border with Russia and is considered a strong military partner.
The Ukrainian President has also been invited to the upcoming NATO summit in Lithuania. “We look forward to meeting President Zelenski at our summit in Vilnius in July,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in Brussels on Tuesday. The NATO summit will take place in Lithuania’s capital on July 11-12.
Pentagon announces new multi-billion dollar military aid to Ukraine
Meanwhile, the US Department of Defense announced new military aid for Ukraine worth 2.6 billion US dollars (almost 2.4 billion euros). The package mainly contains ammunition for artillery pieces and weapon systems such as the Himars multiple rocket launchers.
The US has announced that it will support Ukraine with additional military equipment and ammunition.
(Photo: via REUTERS)
Weapons and ammunition worth $500 million come from US military stocks, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday. Zelenski expressed his delight at the new aid: “Thank you, Mr. President Joe Biden, thank you, Congress, thank you, every American!”
In addition, Ukraine will be provided with additional ammunition and weapons worth 2.1 billion dollars, which will be purchased from the industry, Washington said. These include air defense radar systems, communications equipment, rocket launchers and vehicles of various types such as tanker trucks and transport and recovery vehicles.
NATO develops new support program for Ukraine
NATO is developing a new support program for Ukraine. The planned multi-year initiative should help create a deterrent backdrop and ensure the country’s defense, said NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg on Tuesday evening after deliberations at a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels.
It is also about making the transition from Ukrainian equipment and doctrines from Soviet times to NATO standards and improving interoperability with the Western defense alliance.
According to information from the German Press Agency from alliance circles, there is talk of extending the support program for ten years and providing it with around 500 million euros annually.
This is how the Handelsblatt reports on the Ukraine war:
What does the day bring?
The President of Ukraine and his wife Olena Selenska are expected in Warsaw on Wednesday. Talks are planned with Poland’s President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. According to Duda’s adviser Marcin Przydacz, the talks between the two heads of state will primarily deal with defense issues. Political, economic and historical issues are also on the agenda.
Belarusian ruler and Kremlin ally Alexander Lukashenko is expected on Wednesday for a two-day visit to Moscow. His talks with Russia’s president are likely to include the stationing of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus announced by Vladimir Putin, which are to be stored directly on the border with Poland.
More: Current news on the development of the Ukraine war can be found in our news blog