New York: NATO leaders meet this week for a summit commemorating the 75th anniversary of the military alliance in which they pledged long-term support to Ukraine and said that the deepening strategic partnership between Russia and China is a "cause for profound concern".
Affirming their determination to support Ukraine in building a force capable of defeating Russian aggression, leaders promised to give Kyiv 40 billion euros ($43 billion) in military aid "within the next year". Announcing that the first batch of US-built F-16 fighter jets are being transferred to Kyiv, the military alliance's 32 members also pledged their support for an "irreversible path" to future membership for Ukraine.
The ongoing invasion of Ukraine was top of the agenda at this year's summit, and a declaration agreed by all members said Russia "remains the most significant and direct threat" to security. Training guns on China, the leaders said that the Asian nation's "ambitions and coercive policies continue to challenge our interests, security and values".
Accusing Beijing of playing a pivotal role in helping Moscow's assault on Ukraine, the grouping stated that China "has become a decisive enabler of Russia's war against Ukraine through its so-called 'no limits' partnership and its large-scale support for Russia's defense industrial base". NATO urged China "to cease all material and political support to Russia's war effort."
China vehemently denied the accusations and demanded the transatlantic alliance stay out of Asia, adding that the US-led grouping is seeking an excuse to expand its influence eastwards.
NATO warmly welcomed its 32nd and newest Ally, Sweden, and said that the historic accession of Finland and Sweden makes them safer and the alliance stronger, including in the High North and the Baltic Sea.
