The conflict causes worry about the potential future Moscow interferences and on a change in military and nuclear equilibria if Ukraine passed under Russian control. But she also put in the background the internal conflicts that wave the alliance.
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It was the issue of the Extraordinary Summit of NATO leaders held in videoconferencing, Friday, February 25th: Anticipating, to better mitigate them, the threats that the war led by Vladimir Putin in Ukraine made of ores and Already weigh on the continent as a whole. The Kremlin’s willingness to take control of the country, leaving reverse President Volodyymr Zelensky, the extent of military operations committed to this goal, arouses the worst fears about the intentions of the Kremlin head, whether within the Atlantic Alliance or neighboring countries, which aspire, like Georgia and Moldova, to join it.
Emmanuel Macron spoke, in a message delivered on Friday to the Assembly and the French Senate, a “destabilizing confrontation for the whole continent”: “Russia contravenes its international commitments and calls into question the principle Cardinal respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the States, the very foundation of the European and International Order, “said the Head of State. “The fact is that there is a risk that President Putin, for reasons that belong to him, decides to test Westerners and Europeans” beyond the borders of Ukraine, decrypts a source at the Elysée: “We are extremely vigilant.”
Concerns are different natures. They first concern the countries of the eastern side of NATO, the ancient allies of the USSR of which Vladimir Putin has still not digested the integration into the Atlantic Alliance. Facing the Russian President, the leaders of the thirty NATO member states have sought Friday, above all, to display their unity and determination. Their final release denounces “the most serious threat to Euroatlantic security for decades” and calls Russia to end the conflict.
“Unwavering” support to Ukraine
Leaders have promised solidarity and “unwavering” support in Ukraine – who is not a member of NATO – but confirmed that their military commitment on the ground would be limited to “defensive” strengthening of member countries, in the eastern part of the alliance. The text concludes with a reminder of the unanimous attachment of the participants in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, its mutual defense clause in case of external aggression.
Does this beautiful unit survive in case it should be made concretely for the protection of Baltic States or, for example, intensify the monitoring of Russian activities in the Black Sea? Marc Pierini, Associate Researcher of the Carnegie Europe Center, asks the question. For him, now, four border countries of Russia – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as Poland – will require even greater attention.
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