“Heavy” agenda and difficult topics is included in the next one Summit meeting of NATOwhich will be held on July 11 and 12, at Vilnius. The leaders of the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance are called upon to take extremely critical decisions, the consequences of which are considered will affect the general landscape and in particular relations between the West and Russia, which are anyway at the worst possible level. Already the first discussions took place at the Summit of Foreign Ministers of the NATO countries, held in Oslo.

Three “hot” topics have already been put on the discussion table:

1) Ukraine’s accession to the Alliance

2) The integration of Sweden and

3) The replacement of general secretary Jens Stoltenberg

The agenda also includes military spending, which will have to be shaped based on the new facts, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the extreme tension between the West and Russia, which even reaches threats to use nuclear weapons.

As for the accession of Ukrainethe data are two:

1) Many members of NATO believe – and rightly so – that a possible accession of Ukraine to the Alliance carries very serious risks, even the outbreak of a 3rd World War. Moscow has made its position clear, setting Ukraine’s accession to NATO as a red line. It was one of the reasons cited, along with the attacks by Ukrainian extremists on Russian citizens in the Donbass, in order to justify the invasion of Ukrainian territory. A possible accession of Ukraine to NATO involves uncontrollable risks for the whole world, a fact noted by a competent part of the members of the Alliance and taken into serious consideration by the leadership.

At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is pushing in every way for his country to join NATO, believing that in this way, he will practically activate the forces of the West, generalizing the war, with the aim of repelling the attack of Moscow and – if possible – to recover the lost territories, even the Crimea, about which he has spoken a few times in public.

“Every doubt we raise is a ditch that Russia will try to understand”: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a strong message in favor of joining the Atlantic Alliance between his country and Moldova, which is hosting a summit of European leaders.

“All European countries that have a border with Russia and don’t want Russia to rip off a piece of their territory should be full parts of NATO and the EU,” said Volodymyr Zelensky during the session of the European Political Community in Bulboaca, Moldova.

“There are only two alternatives to this: either an open war or an uncontrolled Russian occupation”, Zelensky emphasized in his statements and added: “Every time we prepare and take decisions for the good of our Europe, for the good of values us, we should remember that every doubt we express is a ditch that Russia will try to understand (…), every doubt brings more insecurity,” said the president of Ukraine. During the upcoming NATO summit in mid-July in Vilnius, clear invitations for NATO membership and security guarantees during the membership process will be needed. Regarding our integration into the European Union, a clear and positive decision is necessary.”

At the same time as the summit of the European Political Community, the foreign ministers of the NATO countries are meeting in Oslo to discuss Ukraine’s integration prospects.

“…we should put the framework in place to offer Ukraine security guarantees after the end of the war,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in Oslo.

For that matter, the president of France Emmanuel Macron yesterday called for “clear and credible security guarantees”.

The position of the United States will be of paramount importance. Washington is currently rejecting NATO’s offer of such guarantees, an unnamed foreign minister told AFP.

Such guarantees, consisting of a formal declaration of support in the event of an attack, have recently been offered by several NATO countries to Sweden, whose entry into the Alliance is blocked by Turkey and Hungary.

Regarding Sweden’s NATO membership, Turkey insists on vetoing it, arguing that Stockholm has not fulfilled the conditions agreed with Ankara. In reality, however, Recep Tayyip Erdogan is holding this card in order to negotiate as hard as possible with Washington. Ankara wants the modernization of the F-16s and the purchase of new fighters, holding Sweden “hostage” in order to pressure the USA and by extension NATO.

Erdogan considers that by approving the entry of Finland he took a step of goodwill and expects the retribution from Washington, which, however, he does not see. Both sides officially do not connect the Swedish issue with the F-16s, but in fact they are interrelated and may be resolved simultaneously. Already from the US it is said that if Turkey gives the OK for Sweden’s accession, Joe Biden will be able to address Congress and request the F-16 program for Turkey.

Stoltenberg at the NATO Foreign Ministers Summit: Let history not repeat itself

“We must ensure that History does not repeat itself,” said Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the opening of the Oslo summit. “For this reason, we should set the framework to offer Ukraine security guarantees after the end of the war”, he added. On this issue, French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday asked for “clear and reliable security guarantees”.

Washington is currently rejecting NATO’s offer of such guarantees.

“It is important that Ukraine can have access to weapons systems, military training, but also financial support. There must be concrete guarantees,” said Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie.

“NATO is going to be 75 years old and never has a belligerent country joined the Alliance because it could invoke Article 5 on the day it joins and, in the case of Ukraine, that would mean war between NATO and Russia “, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg, Jean Asselborn.

Stoltenberg’s successor

Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg, 64, appointed in 2014, is coming to the end of his term, which has already been extended three times, most recently last year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

His successor must be European and the member countries of the European Union would like it to be a woman from the Union.

US President Joe Biden, who will have the final word, will host Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who is a potential candidate, on June 5.

“The choice is always made at the last minute and the renewal of Jens Stoltenberg’s term remains on the table,” said Alliance diplomatic sources.