There is a saying in Poland that, “No one will die for Gdansk.” No matter what kind of security guarantees Poland gets from Western countries, most Poles believe that we will still have to fend for ourselves. After all, when the Nazis invaded in 1939, Poland had security guarantees from
Warnings that the Kremlin could attack a NATO country in the near future have increased in urgency in recent months. According to The Telegraph, U.S. troops and armor would land at one of five ports in the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Turkey or Norway from where they would travel through land corridors to NATO countries bordering Ukraine.
"At one point someone said it'll take 10 years (before Russia reconstitutes its offensive capacity), but I think we're back to less than 10 years because of the industrial base that is now running in Russia," said General Eirik Kristoffersen, Norway's top general.
Romania is considering equipping Ukraine with advanced Patriot defense systems to counter Russian attacks. However, President Klaus Iohannis clarified that such a decision would require an approval from an autonomous administrative authority responsible for coordinating national defense and security activities.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will ask NATO allies to provide a minimum of 40 billion euros ($43.3 billion) in annual military funding for Ukraine, a source within NATO told Reuters on May 30.
Air defense is a "major part of the plan to defend eastern Europe from invasion," a NATO diplomat told the Financial Times. "And right now, we don't have that."
France may announce its decision next week during a visit by President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to Reuters.
Partners assured Kyiv that the Washington summit would define a specific position for Ukraine's membership in NATO, namely its irreversibility and the roadmap toward it, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna said on May 29.
NATO's July summit in Washington will contain new language regarding Ukraine's membership in the alliance, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith said during a briefing in Prague on May 29, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported.
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko signed a law suspending Belarus's involvement in the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), which was designed to establish limits on the number of arms and equipment in NATO and Warsaw Pact countries.
Ukraine will not advance further towards NATO membership at this year’s annual summit, The Telegraph reported on May 28, due to concerns that the alliance could be drawn into a war with Russia.
Key developments on May 27: * Ukrainian drone strikes Russian early-warning radar 1,800 kilometers away * France to send instructors to Ukraine to train Ukrainian soldiers, Syrskyi says * NATO Parliamentary Assembly supports Ukraine's right to hit targets inside Russia using Western arms * Ukraine, Spain sign bilateral security agreement * Russia claims capture
NATO allies should lift restrictions that prohibit Ukraine's use of Western-supplied weapons against military targets inside Russia, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly said in a declaration adopted on May 27.
Using publicly available data, consulting firm Bain & Company claims that Russian factories can produce or refurbish 4.5 million 152 mm shells for $1,000 per round this year. European countries and the U.S. are only expected to produce 1.3 million 155 mm shells combined at an average cost of $4,000 per unit.
"This is a completely new thing —a drone border from Norway to Poland, the purpose of which would be to protect our border with the help of drones and other technologies," said Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite.
The Russian military is waging "a serious and difficult war" against Ukraine, and its capabilities are "far exceeded" by NATO, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told public radio on May 24, according to news portal Telex.
The defense ministers of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia met in the Lithuanian town of Palanga on May 22 and agreed on their key goals ahead of the upcoming NATO summit, including an allied commitment to invest at least 2.5% of GDP in defense.
The next Ramstein-format summit of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) will occur on May 20.
Some NATO member states are discussing the possibility of sending military instructors or contractors to Ukraine to train Ukrainian troops and assist with equipment repairs, the New York Times reported on May 16.
Echoing comments from President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said earlier in the day that the situation in Kharkiv Oblast was "difficult" but "under control," General Christopher Cavoli expressed confidence that Ukraine would be able to withstand the assault.
An autocratic regime like Russia can readily prioritize the expansion of its defense industries over economic well-being to sustain their military actions in Ukraine, along with help from Iran and North Korea, said Lt Gen. Steven L. Basham, U.S. Air Forces in Europe deputy commander.
President Volodymyr Zelensky extended congratulations, in a post on X, to Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova for her win in North Macedonia's presidential election.
In March 2024, Sweden officially joined NATO after a lengthy application process triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and was immediately vocal in its calls for other alliance members to do more.
U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron is expected to say NATO needs to adopt a harder edge for a tougher world during a speech at the National Cyber Security Centre on May 9.
North Macedonia's conservative opposition party won a decisive victory in the country's dual parliamentary and presidential elections on May 8, according to preliminary results.
Budapest will not participate in NATO's long-term plan to support Ukraine, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on May 8, calling it a "crazy mission," according to Reuters.
Lieutenant Admiral Rob Bauer, Chair of the NATO Military Committee, said the most important thing now was that members of the military alliance continue to send aid.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is not reckless enough to attack a NATO country, Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski said in an interview with BBC World, as reported by the Polish outlet RMF24 on May 4.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto ruled out sending troops to Ukraine in an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, published on May 4.
"This type of behavior is contrary to the UN norms of responsible state behavior in cyberspace, such as impairing the use and operation of critical infrastructure," the European Council said.
NATO released a statement condemning Russian "hybrid actions" after multiple individuals were accused of working on behalf of Russia from within NATO territory.
Key developments on April 30: * Germany delivers Skynex air defense system, Marder vehicles, ammunition to Ukraine * Stoltenberg: Ukraine's trust in NATO 'dented' by aid delays * Ukraine allocates funds for 300,000 drones * Prosecutor General: Russia using cluster munition against Odesa points to deliberate targeting of civilians * Lithuania's PM, president in
