It will be the first time Spain sends troops to Slovakia, while the number of troops in Romania will be increased, although the exact figure has not been specified.
Daily Archives: 13. Juli 2023
NATO countries to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets in Romania
(12 July 2023)
A coalition of 11 nations decided during the recent NATO summit in Lithuania to start training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets in August in Denmark. A training center will also be set up in Romania for the same purpose.
NATO members Denmark and the Netherlands have been leading international efforts to train pilots as well as support staff, maintain aircraft and ultimately enable the supply of F-16s to Ukraine in its war with Russia, according to Reuters.
Group of 11 countries forms coalition for training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighters
(11.07.2023)
The Ministry of Defence of Denmark reported that Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden and the UK agreed to start the training of Ukrainians on the F-16 fighters.
The training is expected to start at the end of the summer and will be conducted in Denmark.
Russia issues ominous warning over ‘direct nuclear threat’
‘We have informed the nuclear powers, the United States, Britain and France, that Russia cannot ignore the ability of these aircraft to carry nuclear weapons.
‘No amount of assurances will help here.’
Lavrov continued: ‘In the course of combat operations, our servicemen are not going to sort out whether each particular aircraft of this type is equipped to deliver nuclear weapons or not.
Russia will treat F-16s in Ukraine as nuclear threat – Lavrov
Moscow can’t ignore the nuclear capability of US-designed F-16 fighter jets that may be supplied to Ukraine by its Western backers, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.
By continuing to provide more sophisticated arms to Kiev, “the US and its NATO satellites create the risk of a direct armed confrontation with Russia, and this may lead to catastrophic consequences,” Lavrov warned in his interview with Lenta.ru on Wednesday.
How Ukraine lost its battle for a NATO membership commitment
VILNIUS — Ukraine wanted this year’s NATO summit to end with a clear declaration that it will become an alliance member once the war ends, but President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is leaving Lithuania without that ultimate prize.
Vilnius Summit Communiqué
(11 Jul. 2023)
11. We fully support Ukraine’s right to choose its own security arrangements. Ukraine’s future is in NATO. We reaffirm the commitment we made at the 2008 Summit in Bucharest that Ukraine will become a member of NATO, and today we recognise that Ukraine’s path to full Euro-Atlantic integration has moved beyond the need for the Membership Action Plan.
(…)
23. The People’s Republic of China’s stated ambitions and coercive policies challenge our interests, security and values. The PRC employs a broad range of political, economic, and military tools to increase its global footprint and project power, while remaining opaque about its strategy, intentions and military build-up. The PRC’s malicious hybrid and cyber operations and its confrontational rhetoric and disinformation target Allies and harm Alliance security. The PRC seeks to control key technological and industrial sectors, critical infrastructure, and strategic materials and supply chains. It uses its economic leverage to create strategic dependencies and enhance its influence. It strives to subvert the rules-based international order, including in the space, cyber and maritime domains.
Leaders Agree to Expedite Ukraine‘s NATO Membership
(July 11, 2023)
Finally, leaders reaffirmed that Ukraine would become a member of NATO and agreed to remove the requirement for a Membership Action Plan. „This will change Ukraine‘s membership path from a two-step process to a one-step process,“ the secretary general said. „We also made it clear that we will issue an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO when allies agree, and conditions are met.“
Alliance leaders also approved the most comprehensive defense plans since the end of the Cold War. „These [plans] are designed to counter the two main threats we face: Russia and terrorism,“ he said.