FOR THIS. Summit in Vilnius. The most important findings

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On Tuesday, after the first day of leaders talks NATO countriesGeneral secretary Jens Stoltenberg he said that three elements had been agreed that would “bring Ukraine closer to NATO”.

> A multi-stage support program to help Ukraine transition from post-Soviet military equipment and doctrines to NATO ones, and to help rebuild its armaments sector.

> The creation of the NATO-Ukraine Council, which, as Stoltenberg said, is to be used for “solving crisis situations, consulting and making decisions, where we will meet as equal partners.”

> Shortening to a one-step accession process for Ukraine. NATO countries have agreed to remove the Membership Action Plan (MAP) requirement.

The communiqué concluding the first day of the meeting stated that Ukraine’s invitation to join NATO could be issued when the allies determined that these conditions had been met. It was noted that these conditions apply to democratic, anti-corruption and security reforms.

The results of the NATO summit in Vilnius are good, but if Ukraine were invited to NATO, we could consider them ideal – commented the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday at a joint press conference with Stoltenberg.

READ MORE. President of Ukraine: the results of the NATO summit are good, but they could have been perfect >>>

In a joint declaration, the G7 countries commit themselves to provide long-term military support to Ukraine and security guarantees for this country in order to defend against the current Russian invasion and to stop such aggression in the future.

– Ukraine continues to make progress on the necessary reforms. But we are not waiting for this process to end in order to make long-term commitments for Ukraine’s security Joe Biden. “This is the beginning of a process where each of us and any other willing nation will negotiate long-term security deals with Ukraine. We will help Kiev build strong defenses on land, air and sea.

“We have received significant and practical support – security guarantees along Ukraine’s path to NATO,” Zelensky said.

READ MORE. “Security guarantees” from the G7 countries >>>

On the occasion of the summit, NATO member states and allies announced further military assistance to Kiev.

President France Emmanuel Macron announced the transfer of long-range cruise missiles. French media reports that it is about SCALP missiles.

Defense Minister German Boris Pistorius announced that his country will supply Ukraine with 20,000 artillery shells, 40 Marder combat vehicles, 25 Leopard 1 tanks and two Patriot launchers, among others. Berlin will also provide Kiev with 5,000 rounds of smoke ammunition, a package of reconnaissance and defense equipment against drones, and five armored vehicles.

READ MORE. NATO countries announce further deliveries to Ukraine >>>

Government Norway announced an increase in the fund for military assistance to Ukraine by 2.5 billion crowns ($239 million) to 10 billion crowns in 2023. The money comes from a five-year program for Ukraine worth 75 billion crowns.

Prime Minister Australia In an interview with Zelensky, Anthony Albanese declared that the new aid package from his state would include, among others, 30 Bushmaster combat personnel carriers.

Ministers 11 NATO countries, including Poland, established a coalition at the Vilnius summit to train Ukrainian pilots and mechanics in the use and operation of F-16 fighters. The initiative is led by the Netherlands and Denmark.

On Monday evening, on the eve of the summit, the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip ErdoganPrime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson and Secretary General Stoltenberg met in Vilnius to discuss the issue of Sweden’s accession to NATO.

After the meeting, Stoltenberg announced that Erdogan had agreed to submit the application for Sweden’s accession to NATO to the Turkish parliament and ensured that it would be ratified.

READ MORE. NATO chief: Erdogan agreed to send Swedish accession application to parliament >>>

At Tuesday’s conference, Stoltenberg said that “NATO members have approved the most comprehensive defense plan since the end of the Cold War.”

– In the new plans, we have 300,000 troops on high alert, including significant air and sea capabilities. Strong defense and deterrence require an industrial base, which is why an action plan has been adopted that will accelerate joint procurement, increase interoperability and increase production and investment capacity, he pointed out.

In a communiqué ending the first day, NATO leaders drew attention to the “deepening military integration of Russia and Belarus”, which poses a challenge to the stability of the region. “NATO will remain vigilant and will continue to carefully monitor developments in this situation, in particular the possible deployment of so-called private military companies in Belarus,” the document reads.

“We condemn the intentions expressed by Russia to deploy nuclear weapons and nuclear warhead delivery systems on the territory of Belarus,” the signatories of the statement said.

After Tuesday’s talks in Vilnius, Stoltenberg noted that China “is not an adversary” of the Alliance, but it is becoming “an increasing challenge”.

– China has refused to condemn Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. They threaten Taiwan. They carry out significant actions to increase their defensive capabilities. China’s nuclear modernization is unprecedented in its pace and scale. And it is implemented in a non-transparent manner, he added. He stressed that the allies agreed to continue to work together to defend against Beijing’s repressive behavior.

“China uses a wide range of political, economic and military tools to enhance its global influence and power projection while remaining opaque about its strategies, goals and military build-up,” the NATO Heads of State and Government said in a statement.