Selenskyj sees Ukraine on NATO course – the night update without photos These photos show the extreme weather conditions that prevailed over the weekend

Selenskyj believes in joining NATO

Before the start of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed confidence that his country will join the military alliance after the end of the Russian offensive war. “Even if different positions are taken, it is still clear that Ukraine deserves to be part of the alliance. Not now – now that the war has started, but we need a clear signal,” Zelenskyj said in his daily video message distributed in Kiev on Monday evening. “The majority of the alliance is clear to us.” The summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius should confirm this on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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«We are still working on the formulation, that is, on the concrete words of such a confirmation, but we have already understood that Ukraine will join the alliance. We are working to make the entry algorithm as clear and fast as possible,” said Zelenskyy.

He said it was an honor for him to represent the country and the Ukrainians. Zelenskyy again stressed that Ukraine’s struggle is in the interest of the West. The security of NATO’s eastern flank depends on Ukraine.

“The Russian dictatorship” had “always sought to subjugate the peoples of Europe,” Zelenskyy said. Russia will “never again” cross Ukraine’s eastern border and the soldiers’ positions. As he emphasized, the president already sees Ukraine as part of the military alliance. “Our weapons are the weapons of the Alliance. Our values ​​are what Allianz believes in. Our defense is the element of Europe’s formula that makes it united, free and peaceful.”

Zelenskyi announced a series of bilateral talks in Vilnius, including with representatives from EU countries, the US and Canada. “The priorities are clear: this is air defense for our cities, for all communities across the country. We are also working to create a full-fledged anti-missile shield.” In Vilnius there is also talk of weapons for the front. “Of course we will also talk about other aspects of protecting life and our common security,” Zelenskyj said. “I’m sure there can be good news about armaments for our soldiers from Vilnius.”

Two-day NATO summit in Lithuania begins

The two-day NATO summit in Lithuania begins Tuesday with talks on further support to Ukraine and the expansion of deterrence and defense against Russia. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg wants to send a clear signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin at the summit: that the war against Ukraine is doomed and that any aggression against a NATO state will lead to a determined response from the entire alliance .

Particularly at the request of the US, further dealings with China should also be discussed. In Washington, Beijing’s policies are increasingly viewed as a threat to security. US President Joe Biden landed in Vilnius on Monday evening.

In addition to Biden and the other heads of state and government of the 31 NATO countries, numerous other guests are expected at the meeting in Vilnius. An even closer cooperation will be discussed with Selenskyj on Wednesday. Another topic is probably Ukraine’s hopes of joining NATO. Zelenskyy would like a specific invitation to his country, but knows that he will not be able to get one for the time being due to resistance from countries such as Germany and the US.

Ukraine asks Germany to help join NATO

Despite this, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on the German government to lift the blockade of his country’s early accession to NATO. “I call on the German government not to repeat these mistakes of (Chancellor Angela) Merkel in 2008,” the diplomat said in an interview with ARD “Tagesthemen” on Monday. There is already a large majority of NATO members in support of Ukraine’s faster admission.

At the 2008 Bucharest military alliance summit, Germany and France spoke out against Ukraine’s membership. Nevertheless, the country was given accession prospects. Kiev has enshrined in its constitution the goal of joining the military alliance in 2019.

NATO countries approve new defense plans against Russia

Ahead of their summit, NATO states agreed on new plans to repel possible Russian attacks on alliance territory. The documents were accepted by written procedure on Monday, the German news agency learned from several diplomats. The decision will be reconfirmed by the heads of state and government on Tuesday and then officially announced.

According to information from the German news agency, the defense plans, which total more than 4,000 pages, describe in detail how critical sites in the alliance area should be protected by deterrence and defended in case of emergency. It also determines which military capabilities are required. In addition to the classic land, air and sea forces, cyber and space capabilities are also discussed.

At last year’s NATO summit, Secretary General Stoltenberg announced that 300,000 soldiers would be kept on standby for possible NATO deployment. Until now, the NRF intervention force was mainly intended for rapid crisis operations at NATO. The member states are currently making some 40,000 military personnel available for this purpose.

What will be important on Tuesday

In Ukraine, the armed forces continued their counter-offensive to liberate parts of the Russian-occupied country. The Ukrainian troops are advancing near the town of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, which is controlled by Russian troops, but also on other front sections. (sda/dpa)