Nato official apologises over suggestion Ukraine could give up land for membership
www.theguardian.com
Secretary general’s chief of staff says statement was ‘mistake’ and part of wider discussion – but does not completely rule out idea

cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/1335364

Oh hey, we're back to where it all begun. Only took a couple million displaced.

  • FuckyWucky [none/use name]
    ·
    11 months ago

    NATO has to assure their members that they would stand by them.

    Ukraine isnt in NATO officially.

    Are you saying NATO wants to give 'assurance' to its own members that they'll provide help if Russia were to enter NATO territory by 'helping' a non-NATO country? Don't you think its a bit ridiculous to give billions of dollars of weapons (thus weakening themselves) to a non-NATO country just to 'prove' to its eastern European members that NATO will 'help'? U.S. already has military bases in Germany, Poland and Baltics, one would think large number of U.S. soldiers just being in Eastern Europe and multiple NATO countries having nuclear weapons would be enough of a deterrence for Russia to not invade.

    • mim@lemmy.sdf.org
      ·
      11 months ago

      Public opinion in Eastern European NATO countries is very much pro-Ukraine. They want NATO to send more weapons.

      In fact, they have gone above and beyond to send them more weapons (percent-wise), than other countries.

      • FuckyWucky [none/use name]
        ·
        11 months ago

        “When it comes to new equipment, the Eastern European partners will primarily turn to the United States,” said Matthias Wachter, chief defense analyst at the German industry association BDI. “Germany and France have unfortunately disqualified themselves in the eyes of many eastern Europeans by way of their reluctant stance on military support for Ukraine.”

        :>For example, Poland is in line to receive an undisclosed number of Challenger 2 tanks from the U.K. to backfill its supply of T-72 tanks to Ukraine. That’s in addition to the planned purchase of 250 Abrams tanks from the United States in a deal worth almost $5 billion.

        As a result, Poland, once interested in joining the German-French Eurotank development effort, will now be flush with modern tanks for decades to come, Wachter noted.

        Washington has worked for years to get former Warsaw Pact countries to replace their Soviet-era equipment with NATO-compatible kit. A $713 million tranche of aid announced Monday, aimed at Ukraine and its neighbors, is meant to do just that.

        Eastern Europe gives up its old Soviet era weapons, obtains fancy ones from the U.S. Military Industrial Complex.

        https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2022/04/28/ukraine-weapon-switcheroos-are-flushing-soviet-arms-out-of-europe/

        • mim@lemmy.sdf.org
          ·
          11 months ago

          How does that contradict what I've said? They want NATO to send weapons, and they fear Russia (for obvious reasons). And NATO needs to reassure them that they will support them in defending themselves against a potential Russian invasion.

          Are you trying to change the subject? Or did you genuinely did not understand what I said?