While European countries promised more military aid to Kyiv in the face of a US aid freeze, Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated his goal to incorporate all of Ukraine into the Russian Federation.
Putin reiterated a long-standing Kremlin stance during his June 20 speech to the Saint Petersburg Economic Forum, saying: “I have said many times that the Russian and Ukrainian people are one nation, in fact.” In this way, we own all of Ukraine.
The comments coincide with the ongoing escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, which is currently in its third year. Russian forces already have some 695,000 men inside Ukrainian territory, and another 52,000 are trying to establish a new front in Sumy, close to the country’s northeastern border, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The NATO summit, which took place in The Hague from June 24 to 25, coincided with the military buildup on the ground. According to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, European and Canadian allies have committed to providing Ukraine with military assistance totaling around $35 billion this year, with estimates potentially approaching $40 billion, nearing the $50 billion total aid offered last year.
During a news briefing, Rutte stated, “This demonstrates the strength of resolve among Ukraine’s allies, especially in Europe, where the war is seen as an existential threat to the continent’s security.”
Following his reelection last year, former US President Donald Trump demanded that Germany and a number of other NATO partners raise defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035.
Trump did not make any new promises of military assistance for Ukraine while he was at the NATO conference. Rather, he simply acknowledged that in May, his government had sold Kyiv certain parts for F-16 planes. In order to fend off the daily Russian drone and missile attacks, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy had previously indicated interest in acquiring Patriot missile defense systems.
Trump stated, “We’re going to see if we can make some available,” in reference to Patriot interceptors that are currently in use in Ukraine, at a press conference held at the summit. They’re really difficult to obtain. We have been providing them to Israel, and we too need them,” he continued.
Compared to prior years, when he was accused of being unduly conciliatory to the Russian leader, Trump’s tone toward Putin was more critical.
Trump declared, “I think he’s a person who has been misled.” “Vladimir Putin must put an end to that war.”
But a Kremlin peace offer is still conditioned on Western countries ceasing all military aid to Ukraine, a demand Kyiv and its allies have refused.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, reaffirmed this position on Saturday, saying that Russia would only entertain negotiations if arms transfers to Ukraine stopped.
International appeals have failed to de-escalate the situation. The magnitude of ongoing fighting was highlighted by Ukraine’s General Staff, which recorded an average of 200 Russian ground attacks per day throughout the week of the NATO summit.
Concerns about Russian aspirations outside of Ukraine have been rekindled throughout Europe as a result of the battlefield situation and Putin’s rhetoric.
According to analysts, European NATO countries’ heightened defense pledges show both their solidarity with Ukraine and their rising concern about the Kremlin’s long-term goals.
European countries seem to be filling the gap left by the US’s more circumspect stance, at least in public.
