At the NATO summit in Vilnius, a number of countries expressed their frustration with Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky’s “pressing” tone. “Although towards the end he thanked NATO well and rightly,” says foreign commentator Bernard Hammelburg.
Perhaps the most telling statement in Vilnius came from UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, who said “we are not Amazon”, the parcel service that delivers goods to order. He referred to Zelensky’s ever-growing list of requests.
You cannot force NATO membership. It will take a long time and certainly until the war is over’
According to Hammelburg, this sentiment also prevailed in some other participating countries. “He risks becoming a kind of grouchy child when he has already received a lot,” said the foreign commentator. ‘Certainly something like NATO membership cannot be enforced. It will take a long time and certainly until the war is over.”
Zelensky’s “great quality”.
Even if Hammelburg admits that Zelensky was wrong until the end of the top. ‘He very kindly and rightly thanked NATO members for their long-term help. US channel CNN summed up well how Zelensky went from grouch to diplomat.’
Furthermore, according to Hammelburg, Zelensky has a “great quality”: he seems to always do everything and have his wishes come true. “So the last word hasn’t been said here either.”
Ukraine and NATO in equal talks
According to Europe reporter Geert Jan Hahn, who is based in Vilnius, the friction is not in the membership itself, but in the history of the route. ‘Now a Ukraine-NATO council has been established so that both partners can speak to each other as equals. But Zelensky probably wanted to go home with something more.’
Zelensky’s biggest gain at the NATO summit, according to Hahn, is in commitments from the G7, a group of wealthy industrial countries. “They have all entered into bilateral agreements with Ukraine in which they say they will support the country for a long time. It’s a sort of framework that each country can put something into.” According to Hahn, the club is not closed either. ‘The Netherlands and Denmark also want to participate. And Belgium would be interested.’
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Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
