Ukrainian Def Min To Participate In NATO Meeting
Brussels, March 15: Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov is expected to take part in the NATO ministerial slated for March 16, US envoy to the alliance Julianne Smith said on Tuesday.
“Finland and Sweden will join us at the table and we’ll also be joined by the Ukrainian minister of defense, that’s my understanding,” Smith told a briefing. She further said that the US wants all nations, including China, to clearly outline their stance on the Ukraine crisis, as this is not a time for countries to “pretend like they can stay neutral”. She said, “Maybe this would be a good time to say something about Jake Sullivan’s engagement that he had yesterday with the Chinese officials in Rome. “I’ve heard it were very serious, very intense discussions. They obviously were focused on Russia’s war in Ukraine. And the National Security Adviser stressed the importance of maintaining an open line (of communication) with the US and China on this particular conflict. “But I think the goal of that engagement was to really send a pretty clear message that the United States is keen to see every country around the world and that includes the PRC, to make clear in this moment, where they stand with respect to this conflict in Ukraine, and that they need to stand on the side of the rules-based order.”
“This is not a time for countries to sit on the sidelines. This is not a time for countries to pretend like they can stay neutral on this particular conflict.” The US envoy said the NATO does not want the conflict in Ukraine to spread beyond its current context, and a no-fly zone would take things in the wrong direction.
She said, “The message coming from the NATO alliance and from the folks back in Washington, including the President, is that a no-fly zone is not on the table right now, it’s not something that the alliance is looking at. “We don’t want to expand this conflict, we do not want to see it spread above and beyond the current context. And so the feeling is that if we were to consider something like a no-fly zone, that would take us in the wrong direction.”
The United States will continue to assess what other forms of air defense it might be able to provide to Ukraine amid Russia’s military operation, Smith said. “You’ve heard the President and Secretary of Defense talk about the fact that we are continually assessing what additional needs our friends have. We will continue looking at what other aspects of or other forms of air defense we might be able to provide to Ukraine. “And of course, you’ve no doubt seen the news that Congress just recently approved an additional $13.6 billion of support for Ukraine. So this is an evolving story,” she added.
