NATO promises more aid to Ukraine, charges Russia and puts pressure on China

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NATO will step up aid to Ukraine, and

but will not do anything that could provoke an open clash with Russia.

There will be no troops, no direct military assistance from the Alliance as such (only from some of its partners) and certainly

matter how much Kiev asks, begs or demands it.

Those are the conclusions of the extraordinary Summit held this Thursday in Brussels with the presence of the Heads of State and Government of the 30.

The Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, who spoke during the meeting and will intervene again this afternoon before the European Council, has asked for "

Ukraine asks you for planes so that we do not lose so many people and we have not yet received a single plane (...). We ask for tanks to defend our cities (...). You have at least 25,000 tanks. Ukraine is asking for only 500", he said during the teleconference, in which, with that skill that he has perfected these weeks, he has ratcheted up the pressure by claiming that the actual outcome will determine "who is a friend, who is a partner, and who will betray us for money."

Your request has been heard, but not in the desired terms.

anti-tank missiles, anti-aircraft missiles and drones, but not tanks or planes.

"Today we have agreed to do more, including cybersecurity assistance and equipment to help Ukraine protect itself against biological, chemical, radiological and nuclear threats. This could include detection, protection and medical supplies, as well as decontamination and crisis management training," has lowered the former Norwegian prime minister.

The day in Brussels is unprecedented.

There is NATO, there is a European Council in which the US president, Joe Biden, will participate.

And there is also a face-to-face meeting of the G7, in which the great powers are discussing more measures and sanctions against Moscow, including even the 'expulsion' of Russia from the G20, limiting its ability to sell gold or strengthen the ruble by demanding the payment in that currency in oil or gas contracts.

Avoid an escalation

The first appointment was the 'military' one and although the rhetoric used by the leaders, in their speeches and in the consensual statement at the end, is strong, there are no big surprises in the content.

"Our measures remain preventive, proportionate and avoid escalation. We will now accelerate NATO's transformation into a more dangerous strategic reality, including the adoption of the next Strategic Concept in Madrid. In light of the most serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security in decades, we will also significantly strengthen our long-term deterrence and defense posture and further develop the full range of ready forces and capabilities needed to maintain credible deterrence and defense.

The most striking and novel element, but cautious for now, is the activation of the defense elements in the face of the possibility of a nuclear attack in Ukraine.

There is concern about the use of non-conventional weapons and the possible consequences on neighboring countries.

So the Alliance wants to be ready.

"We are increasing the resilience of our societies and our infrastructure to counter Russia's malign influence. We are enhancing our cyber capabilities and defenses, providing

.

We are ready to impose costs on those who harm us in cyberspace, and we are increasing information sharing and situational awareness, improving civilian preparedness, and strengthening our ability to respond to disinformation.

We will also enhance

.

We will make more decisions when we meet in Madrid", the Alliance has anticipated.

The secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has also confirmed what was anticipated on Wednesday: the deployment of four battalions (Battlegroups) of the Alliance on the eastern flank, in the neighboring countries of Ukraine that until now they did not have: Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia. .

He has also confirmed that medical equipment and special suits will be provided to kyiv in case of chemical attacks.

And

But for more specific elements we will have to wait until April or the June summit in Madrid.

"President Putin's escalating rhetoric is irresponsible and destabilizing. We are united in our determination to counter Russia's attempts to destroy the foundations of international security and stability. We will continue to counter Russia's lies about its attack on Ukraine and expose the narratives fabricated or "false flag" operations to prepare the ground for further escalation, including against the civilian population of Ukraine. Any use by Russia of a chemical or biological weapon would be unacceptable and would have serious consequences," the document reads. .

Stoltenberg was very aggressive with China on Wednesday, but the wording of the statement is somewhat more cautious.

"We call on all states, including the People's Republic of China, to uphold the international order, including

enshrined in the United Nations Charter, to refrain from supporting Russia's war effort in any way. way, and to refrain from any action that helps Russia to circumvent sanctions," NATO demands.

"We are concerned about recent public comments by PRC officials and call on

, in particular on the war and NATO, and that promotes a peaceful resolution of the conflict", they add, demanding a more direct participation of Beijing, but not along the same lines as until now.

"Allied leaders have called on

China should not provide economic or military support for the Russian invasion. Instead, Beijing should use its significant influence in Russia and promote an immediate and peaceful resolution." ", explained the secretary at the end of the meeting.

Stoltenberg will continue one more year

Another of the unexpected consequences of the Russian invasion has been the decision taken by the leaders this afternoon to extend the Secretary General's mandate for another year.

Stoltenberg, who took office in October 2014, was reappointed in 2017 and again in 2019, as he was one of the few world leaders who had found a way to get along reasonably well with Donald Trump.

It was decided that September 30 would definitely be set aside, and his successor, or more likely his successor, was going to come out of the Summit at the end of June to be held in Madrid.

However, the 30 have agreed that it was too risky to put someone without the necessary experience at the moment, so the Norwegian will continue until September 2023.

Stoltenberg, who was prime minister of his country, had already been appointed as the next governor of the Norwegian central bank, but all those involved have understood that collective security took precedence over everything else.

After eight years, the general secretary not only has the knowledge of how the house works, but because of his characteristics he is

Precisely similar to a central banker, he is aware that his every word can have immediate consequences, that the risk of causing incidents is very high, so he always exercises caution.

In all these years he has not known missteps or misunderstandings.

He is not a brilliant leader, he does not have world-class rhetoric and his internal management of the Alliance does not stand out, but the heads of state and government are satisfied and his contacts in the United States (White House, Pentagon and Congress) are very good .

So there have been no reservations.

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