The commendable reaction of Western democracies to the Russian tyrant's invasion continues to set new milestones, beginning with the strengthening of military commitment to self-defense under the NATO umbrella.

At its summit yesterday, the Atlantic Alliance announced that it will

redouble aid to Ukraine and deploy battalions in the eastern countries

closest to the Russian border, while increasing pressure on China.

All this without fully meeting the demands of the president

Ukrainian, as they could lead to the detonation of an open clash with Russia and a tragic nuclear escalation.

The NATO countries will continue to send weapons and ammunition, but not tanks or planes, as Zelensky has claimed, who in his address to the conclave of allied countries

displayed his rhetorical mastery to demand armed support and warn that Ukraine will take note

of "who is a friend, who is a partner, and who will betray us for money."

The largest military organization in history, whose very reason for being is the protection of the democratic order and the deterrence of the totalitarian threat, must use its power responsibly when on the other side of the border is a psychopathic imperialist with nuclear weapons like Vladimir Putin.

But

the awakening of the West to the aggressive deployment of the Russian threat is involving the free world without exception

, from the United States -Biden attended the European Council- to community institutions and numerous private companies committed to freedom.

But NATO is the spearhead and shield of the West, and Putin's criminal initiative has restored his role to full force, after years of apathy and suicidal relaxation that led Macron to decree his "brain death."

Everything has changed and today

NATO is more alive than ever in defense of the values ​​for which Ukraine fights and for which Russia invades.

No one yet knows what course a war will take that has become more complicated for Putin than expected, but the messages from the US - which already warned in its day that the concentration of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border was not a bluff - are pessimistic .

The use of unconventional weapons is not ruled out

to laminate the resistance of the Ukraine.

That is why NATO will provide kyiv with medical equipment and special suits against the possibility of chemical attacks.

In parallel, it presses on the diplomatic flank to

appeal directly to China

, whose role in resolving the conflict is irreplaceable.

The EU is also studying new economic sanctions against Moscow and urgent alternatives to Russian gas.

Waiting for the June summit in Madrid, where new steps will be taken -such as the increase in military spending in the budgets of the member countries-,

it has been wisely opted for the extension of Stoltenberg as head of NATO

for one more year.

In times of tribulation it is better not to move, and the war will still require new proofs of firmness and sacrifice from the liberal democracies.

It's time to be up.

To continue reading for free

Sign inSign up

Or

subscribe to Premium

and you will have access to all the web content of El Mundo