Zelensky stresses that the G7 document will be a legal commitment to strengthen Ukraine’s defense in the long term

VILNIUS, July 12 (from EUROPA PRESS special correspondent Víctor Tuda) –

G7 nations finalize deal to offer security guarantees to Ukraine so the country can defend itself against future Russian aggression until it becomes a NATO member, a sign of support that will come after that the members of the alliance have expressed their unanimous support. to Ukraine’s accession.

At a press conference from Lithuania, where he is taking part in the NATO summit, Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky said that the main world powers and other countries wishing to join are proposing a “legal document” which symbolizes that Ukraine has a “security umbrella”.

As he explained, Kiev will later negotiate the details bilaterally with each guarantor country, arguing that these agreements will strengthen security in aspects that Ukraine currently lacks, such as air defenses or combat aircraft.

In any case, Zelenski underlined that these guarantees must cover until Ukraine’s entry into NATO, in no case replace its entry into the military alliance and must be expressed in writing so that they do not depend on personal relationships between leaders. “We want documents so that it’s not just a question of a personal relationship. It will open up the possibility of having bilateral documents later,” he said.

Regarding the agreement of NATO allies to invite Ukraine to join the alliance once it has undertaken reforms and respected the security conditions, marked by the march of the war, the Ukrainian leader lowered the reproaches of this Tuesday even if he regretted that the “optimal result” would have been a direct invitation.

“We understand that some are afraid to talk about our membership now, because no one wants a world war, which is logical and understandable,” he admitted.

A few hours earlier, the American national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, in a forum on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, had spoken openly on the issue, announcing that Washington and “many other allies and partners” would initiate the process to give Ukraine “long-term security commitments in the military, economic and other tools necessary to counter Russian aggression and deter future Russian aggression.”

Similarly, the British government has indicated that the UK hopes to agree within the G7 “a new framework to ensure Ukraine’s long-term security”, according to a statement on the Prime Minister’s diary. Rishi Sunak.

London said the deal will mark how the allies will support Ukraine in the years to come to end the war and deter and respond to any future attacks. The signatories will make long-term bilateral security commitments for Ukraine to defend its territorial sovereignty.

In any case, the agreements of some NATO allies will not extend to the organization as a whole, since the alliance defends that it does not correspond to it to provide this type of guarantee, which in the lexicon of NATO corresponds to the mutual defense clause of article 5 of the washington treaty.

In this context, Zelensky met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whom he thanked for his support “since the beginning of Russian aggression” and his recent visit to kyiv. “We can fully count on you. We are fighting for common values. I am very grateful for the support of your government and I am happy to have spoken today”, declared the Ukrainian president.

Thus, he underlined that the country needed Canadian assistance and underlined that “there is no other option than Ukraine’s accession to NATO”, while emphasizing the importance of the security guarantees offered by Trudeau.

Zelensky took the opportunity to update Trudeau on the latest developments on the battlefield and address the possible extension of military and technical assistance to the country by the allies until “the liberation of all territories is temporarily completed”.

Both stressed the importance of continuing to protect Ukrainian skies and “Canada’s participation in the coalition of fighters” and spoke about the implementation of the peace formula for Ukraine.

Likewise, he announced an agreement with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to send more Patriot defense systems, an issue he described as “very important to protect the lives of Ukrainians from Russian terrorism”.

“We came back to talk about security guarantees for Ukraine on the way to NATO,” he said before thanking the German government for its “long-term support”. “The long-term assistance programs are the best sign for anyone in the world that Europe will continue to be a place of peace and security,” he said in a Telegram message.

On the other hand, Zelenski took the opportunity to hold a meeting with Sunak and dared that “there will be news”. “Our negotiations always strengthen global security!”, He said in a message on his Twitter account.