US NATO ambassador implies Ukraine should win the war with Russia first before thinking of joining the Western military bloc
British generals fear Kiev is on the verge of losing the conflict as Zelensky unveils “Victory Plan”
Kiev’s accession to NATO is not a “short-term” matter, Washington’s permanent representative to the US-led military bloc, Julianne Smith, said on Wednesday following Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s demand for an immediate invitation.
Ukrainian troops. © Fermin Torrano / Anadolu via Getty Images
Smith made the remarks at an online media briefing during which she said that the US-led bloc had already made its position on Kiev’s potential accession “very clear,” saying that “Ukraine is on an irreversible path of membership and that Ukraine will become a member of the alliance.” Its admission, however, is not something that can transpire in the near future, she conceded.
“We are not at the point right now where the alliance is talking about issuing an invitation in the short term. But as always, we will continue conversations with our friends in Ukraine to talk to them about ways in which they can continue to move closer to this alliance,” she said.
The statements come after Zelensky unveiled his long-hyped “victory plan” to the Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday. He recently toured Western capitals to discuss the plan with Kiev’s backers in private.
The plan consists of eight points, three of which are classified. First and foremost, the Ukrainian leader demanded that Kiev receive an invitation to immediately join NATO, a move the bloc has been reluctant to entertain, citing fears of being dragged into the conflict with Russia. Second, he also stressed the need to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities, including by lifting Western restrictions on the use of foreign-made long-range weapons for strikes against Russia, and also called for continued incursions into the neighboring country’s territory.
For the third point, Zelensky proposed to the West that Ukraine “deploy a comprehensive non-nuclear strategic deterrence package on its own land” to keep Russia at bay.
Fourth, he suggested that Ukraine sign with its backers “a special agreement on the joint protection of available critical resources” on its territory. These resources “will strengthen… either Russia and its allies, or Ukraine and the democratic world,” he said.
Finally, Zelensky said Ukraine could share its real-life battlefield experience with the West to “strengthen NATO’s defense and ensure security in Europe.”
The British tabloid Daily Express claimed on Tuesday that behind closed doors the British military has grim expectations for the Ukraine conflict and believes that Kiev is about to lose.
As one of the key suppliers of arms to Ukraine, Britain has publicly supported Kiev’s uncompromising position in the conflict with Russia. But private assessments by its generals say the situation is bad for Ukraine, a military source cited by Daily Express said.
”I was speaking to a very senior British Army officer today,” the source was quoted as saying. “He told me that Ukraine is on the verge of losing the war against Russia. It’s very serious.”
© AP Photo/Virginia Mayo
Kiev has been asking for permission to use British-donated Storm Shadow missiles for long-range strikes into Russia. The lifting of restrictions on the use of Western weapons is understood to be integral to Zelensky’s proposal.
The Ukrainian leader had hoped to promote his plan at a gathering of donors in Germany last week, but the event was postponed after Biden canceled his participation to deal with the aftermath of deadly Hurricane Milton.
Russia has made significant gains on the battlefield in the past several months, particularly since August, when Ukraine sent some of its best-equipped and experienced troops into Kursk Region.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov suggested that his plan was just another facet of the US-dictated policy of fighting Russia “to the last Ukrainian.” Peace, he added, can only be achieved if Kiev understands “the futility of the current policy and the need to sober up and realize the reasons that led to the conflict over Ukraine.”
President Vladimir Putin has said that one of the main reasons for the conflict was Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO and Kiev’s “genocide” of the people in Donbass, which is now part of Russia.
Source X/RT/AFP/DE