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| Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko among the world leaders at the NATO Summit in Wales (Image: Reuters) |
Ukraine participated in the NATO Summit held on 4 and 5 September in
Wales Newport and received unilateral support of the countries-members of NATO.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has delivered a speech calling on the
Western countries to help Ukraine and to support its fight with the Russian
aggression, as this aggression actually threatens not only Ukraine but Europe
as well and is an issue of concern for the entire world.
The members of the NATO countries have supported Ukraine and its fight
for the safety and security for its citizens and its territorial integrity and
sovereignty and have strongly condemned Russian military aggression and
escalation of the conflict in Ukrainian Donbas region. Lithuanian President
Dalia Gribauskajte called on the Western countries to stop Russian aggression
in Ukraine until it didn’t reach the Western borders of Europe, while Polish
Prime Minister Donald Tusk has stated that there is no one in NATO anymore who
would sympathize Russia. It’s worth mentioning that NATO’s Secretary General
Anders Fogh Rasmussen has stated several times earlier that Russia cannot be
considered being a partner for NATO anymore and that NATO will review its
relations with Russia.
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| Ukrainian soldiers at the checkpoint in Mariupol (Image: The Guardian) |
Thus, more than 60 world leaders and heads of the countries-members of
NATO have participated in the NATO Summit held in Wales. NATO supports Ukraine
and stated that the countries-members of the Alliance will provide Ukraine with
financial, military and technical aid and assistance in order to help Ukraine
to fight Russian aggression in Eastern Ukrainian region, where Russian backed
terrorists and currently also Russian regular soldiers are advancing, and
capturing new cities. NATO supports the decisive steps and actions of the
countries-members of the Alliance aimed at helping Ukraine, and this is
actually the help Ukraine expected to receive, stated Ukrainian President Petro
Poroshenko after his meeting with the European leaders.
“Supporting Ukraine and de-escalation on the East of our country they
support stability in Europe and in the entire world,” Mr. Poroshenko said about
the NATO and Western support of Ukrainian cause.
Thus, the results of the meeting in the frameworks of the NATO-Ukrainian
Commission in Wales include the resolution expressing total support of Ukraine,
providing it with military and technical help including weapons on the level of
the countries-members of the Alliance, including Ukraine into the frameworks of
the special NATO programs, support in reforming Ukrainian military and
discussion on the coordination the further actions, including imposing the new
sanctions against Russia, what is expected to be announced by EU on Friday, 5
September.
As a result of the NATO-Ukraine Summit in Wales Ukraine will receive
military and technical support from the countries-members of NATO, which will
include non-lethal and lethal weapons, military technique and equipment and
military cooperation. In addition to that NATO will provide Ukraine with $ 15
millions of financial aid for Ukrainian army, its reforming, support and
developments, according the Mr. Rasmussen. NATO will also help Ukrainian military
in the field of cyber-security, logistics, training, communication, organization
etc.
Ukraine and NATO will work also on a deeper cooperation in order to
reform Ukrainian army and to include Ukraine in the participation in the
initiative of the special partnership with NATO.
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| Ukrainian troops deployed to protect the city of Mariupol (Image: AP) |
NATO Summit sent also a message to Russia, as all the members and
participants of the Summit strongly condemned Russian aggression in Eastern
Ukraine and demanded Russia to immediately withdraw its forces from Ukrainian
soil and to stop funding, supplying and supporting the terrorists operation in
the region. In case Russia will not deescalate the situation in Ukraine, EU and
USA will be forces to impose the new package of sanctions against Russian key
economy sectors and some individuals from the closest Putin’s circle. NATO also
condemned Russian annexation of Crimea and stated that this act will never be
recognized and tolerated.
Meanwhile the situation in Eastern Ukrainian Donbas region remains
extremely tense and dangerous, as Russia forces are advancing, and Ukrainian
National Security and Defense Council reports the new deployments of troops and
military technique. NATO and USA in their turn have also evidences of Russian
military invasion and their continuous crossing Ukrainian border and deploying
new troops. OSCE observers have also confirmed the fact of shelling Ukrainian
territories by Russians from the Russian side.
Ukrainian Armed Forces, National Guard and numerous volunteers brigades
fighting together in the zone of an anti-terrorist operation are trying to hold
the cities freed earlier by Ukrainian army, but they were forced to retreat
from Luhansk and many of their positions around the cities. The situation in Donetsk
remains also tense. In addition to that there is still a serious threat of an
attempt of Russian soldiers and Russian backed terrorists to advance for
Mariupol, as the fights erupted on the outskirts of the city in the night and
early in the morning of Friday.
At the same time the negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and terrorists
of the so called “Novorossiya”, controlling some parts of Donetsk and Luhansk
regions are ongoing in the capital of Belarus Minsk. These talks are also
attended and mediated by the EU representatives.
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| Residents of Ukrainian Southern city of Mariupol rally for unity of Ukraine and for their city (Image: AFP) |
Russian President Putin has presented earlier his seven points plan for
resolving the situation in Eastern Ukraine, which included withdrawal of
Ukrainian Armed Forces from the region and halt of the anti-terrorist operation,
starting the talks with the “rebels” regarding the status of these territories
etc., thus actually this was a plan for destroying Ukrainian sovereignty and
for establishing the so called “federalization” on Ukrainian territory, as some
parts of Ukraine will actually fall under control of Putin’s Russia. Thus, this
plan was rejected by Ukrainian authorities. Putin’s plan also included a
long-term ceasefire with the terrorists in the Eastern Ukraine, and there was a
lot of confusions regarding this issue recently, as first it was stated that
Petro Poroshenko and Vladimir Putin have reached an agreement regarding the
ceasefire, while later it was stated that there were only talks regarding the
process of reaching the ceasefire. Anyway, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko
has stated that he hopes for the de-escalation and for reaching an agreement
during the upcoming meeting in Minsk and that he will do everything possible to
make the sides to accept his peaceful plan of resolving the crisis in eastern
Ukraine.
Meanwhile the talks are ongoing, but an agreement regarding the
ceasefire in Donbas was reportedly reached on Friday, as the sides have signed
a document that the ceasefire will take into effect on Friday at 18:00 local
time.
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