BERLIN (AP) – A senior NATO official says Russia’s military advance in Ukraine appears to be faltering and he expressed hope that Kyiv (Kiev) can win the war.
Top NATO diplomats are meeting Sunday in Berlin to discuss providing further support to Ukraine and moves by Finland, Sweden, and others to join the western alliance in the face of threats from Russia.
“The brutal invasion [by] Russia is losing momentum,” NATO Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoana told reporters. “We know that with the bravery of the Ukrainian people and army, and with our help, Ukraine can win this war.”
Geoana, who was chairing the meeting while NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg recovers from a COVID-19 infection, said Ukraine’s supporters were “united, we are strong, will continue to help Ukraine in winning this war.”
One key issue being discussed in Berlin is expansion of NATO beyond its current 30 member states.
Finland and Sweden have already taken steps toward joining the alliance, while Georgia’s bid is again being discussed despite dire warnings from Moscow about the consequences if its neighbour becomes part of NATO.
“Finland and Sweden are already the closest partners of NATO,” Geoana said, adding that he expected allies to view their applications positively — although Turkey’s president Recep Erdogan has expressed grave misgivings, likening the multicultural Scandinavian countries to “guesthouses for terrorist organisations.”
“We are following developments concerning Sweden and Finland carefully, but we are not of a favourable opinion,” said the Turk, who like all NATO leaders wields a veto over admitting new members to the alliance, on Friday.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to raise the matter with Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu this weekend.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said her country and others made clear during a dinner late Saturday that they would be willing to fast-track the national ratification process for Finland and Sweden.
“If these two countries are deciding to join, they can join very quickly,” she said.
Denmark’s foreign minister dismissed suggestions that objections from Russia’s President Vladimir Putin could hinder the alliance from letting in new members.
“Each and every European country has a fundamental right to choose their own security arrangement,” Jeppe Kofod told reporters.
“We see now a world where the enemy of democracy number one is Putin and the thinking that he represents,” he said, adding that NATO would also stand with other countries, such as Georgia, which he said were being “instrumentalized” by Russia.
Admitting Georgia to the notionally defensive alliance would raise immediate issues, however, given it is already locked in what is effectively a frozen conflict with Russia in South Ossetia, where pro-Russian separatists operate a self-declared breakaway republic actively defended by Russian forces.
Britain’s top foreign affairs minister said NATO members would also discuss security issues beyond Europe during their meeting Sunday — a reference to growing unease among democratic nations about the rise of China.
“As well as protecting Euro-Atlantic security, we also need to watch out for Indo-Pacific security,” Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said.
The meeting follows a gathering of foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) leading economies on Germany’s Baltic Sea coast this week. Officials there expressed strong support for Ukraine and warned that Russia’s blockade of grain exports from Ukrainian ports risks stoking a global food crisis.
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