Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee and senior military advisor to the Secretary General, has visisted Ukraine.
NATO say that Air Chief Marshal Peach met with the President of Ukraine, Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel-General Ruslan Khomchak.
In a news release, the Alliance say that the Chairman visited the National Land Forces Academy, attended briefings on the NATO – Ukraine partnership, international training missions’ progress, as well as the security situation in and around Ukraine. Air Chief Marshal Peach paid his respects and laid a wreath at the Ministry of Defence’s Hall of Memory.
“Meeting with President Zelenskyy, the Chairman reaffirmed NATO’s valued partnership with Ukraine and its full support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Discussions centred on Ukraine’s wide-ranging defence reforms, the developments in Ukraine and the Black Sea region, Ukraine’s continued support to NATO’s Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, the Kosovo Force in Kosovo, as well as NATO’s Response Force.”
The Chairman of the Military Committee stated:
“The Alliance commends President Zelenskyy’s commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. NATO Allies are united in their condemnation of Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea, and its aggressive actions in eastern Ukraine. We call on Russia to end its support for militants in eastern Ukraine and withdraw its forces from Ukrainian territory. Ukraine is one of NATO’s closest and most important partners.”
Ukraine should join NATO to show Mr Putin we can also play games.
Probably told them NATO won’t lift a figure if Putin invades them just like last time. Ugh.
I think we should keep out of it ,got a friend from Ukraine he and is family had to get out for for safety .He work for the law he told Ukraine is very corrupt is it worth us getting involved with a government like this.
Yet we support & defend abominable regimes in the middle east. Where will the west draw the line fr Putin?
This Russian vs Ukraine build up is all getting very serious now. I would hazard a guess that it could all get very serious very quickly if either side miscalculates. Now if the worst happened and Ukraine was captured by Russia NATO most certainly would be putting several Divisions into Romania & Slovakia, reinforcing the Black Sea and moving air assets from CONUS to eastern Europe.
Lets just hope Putin isn’t that mad.
Putin will just keep crossing lines until eventually he crosses a line that the West will not ignore. Need to send a strong clear message. The Russians do not respect weakness.
All this going on and yet UK still cut ,now will our government wake up 🛌
Quite. Cutting our armed forces merely emboldens adversaries. Governments still can’t figure out that to prepare for emergencies is far cheaper than not preparing for them
In my opinion we, as in NATO or suitable constituent members, must support Ukraine by facing down Putin, when or if this latest provocation escalates. Further sanctions will already have been factored into Putin’s calculation. So, although they would be applied, a forthright military response should constitute an indivisible part of the package (communicated via SALT* talks, in my view). Russia’s in depth moves hardly conform to an exercise, and even if on this occasion they did, then what’s their intended purpose, ultimately?
Dictators cannot own the narrative at will. Democratic cooperative engagement is the ultimate raison d’etre for NATO-type organisations in the first place.
Regards
* short-arsed little t . . d
I cannot agree more. Putin will see NATO in action over Ukraine as a sign of weakness and his next target will be one of the NATO Baltic members. He won’t stop at Ukraine!! A show of force now will make Putin think again.
Ukraine has many problems and Russia is doing its best to keep the country destabilised .
It is a sobering thought that the actions of just one human being can threaten the whole world with catastrophe. History just keeps repeating itself and illustrates that mankind is basically controlled by the lowest common denominator. The fact that Germany is the land of Bach and Beethoven and(alongside of us) houses the worlds most skilled Engineers and high civilisation, did not prevent Hitler from unleashing his evil on the planet. So what to do? Some firm behind the scenes diplomacy coupled with a discreet show of force from Nato in support of Ukraine has to be the measured response. The West must avoid a’ yours is bigger than mine’ contest.
Unless NATO(including the UK) takes defence far more seriously & builds strength rather than pusuing ever weakening cuts, authoriatarianism will grow. Our voice just becomes high pitched noise to be ignored without the big stick to enforce our views & the world becomes a far more dangerous place.
If Putin is allowed to take the Ukraine, the writing is on the wall for the Baltics & Nato shows it is too weak to matter.
With Biden as Potus, Merkel needing gas and Sinophile Johnson obsessed with domestic control of the UK what will happen? Words, a few sanctions against individuals and faux outrage. I say again, and face facts. Gorbachev was given assurances about Nato influence and the eastern sphere. Those assurances were broken.
Russians are only doing what Russians do so well. Testing the water, then reacting because they see the weakness. Ethnic Russians in Ukraine want to be part of Mother Russia. Many Ukrainians fought on Hitler’s side in The Great Patriotic War. They are a people with long memories and a great deal of patriotism.
Notice the moves are in concert with increased Chinese activity over Taiwan, the South China Sea and Hong Kong? Doris Johnson has done nothing to support his “commitment” to Hong Kong apart from making vague promises to relocate six million people as if the CCP would allow them to leave anyway.
This is the Great Game at play as it always has been and always will be until a chain of events leads to direct conflict.
There will only be losers in such a conflict because it will lead to many regional leaders such as Erdogan using it to cover expansion.
The Chinese also remember the British humiliation of China in historical contexts such as The Opium Wars.
From Britains point of view, the legacies of empire are still coming home to roost. Now l am not being provocative with that comment because France is facing the same conundrum.
Like the Afrikaaner had to swallow a reality pill because of circumstance, the British, French and others will have to do the same.
Cue the usual “Kremlin troll” comments from the resident Daily Mail readers. Still, makes for amusing reading.
You are indeed correct, Jan, about early 90’s western assurances to Moscow. These held out for what, possibly unfortunately, constitutes a long time in politics; being generously defined as anything in excess of five years here rather than a week. Even so, there is of course a more than subtle difference in the eventual actions of western NATO democracies and in essence Putin’s Russia. These eastern democracies primarily requested membership – led by Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary I believe. Others followed suit to be in the same club, or not to be left out. Considering the dire state of these latter, it was a burden to NATO in many ways, but that’s taking notice of democratic choice for you (sometimes a bummer). Clearly, the subtle difference between request/invite versus invasion is evident.
Even taking into account the Ukraine’s Legal Sovereignty over Crimea and Donbas, no action was taken, probably due to a combination of mixed political affiliation and speed of manoeuvre in those regions. However, no such rationale applies to the new situation, the primary military motivation for would initially appear predicated upon securing territorial consolidation and resources, whilst further threatening Ukraine’s supply lines, mainly maritime I guess. Clearly, there will be losers with or without action, so what’s your proposal? After all, you have noticed the link with moves in the East. It’s no use highlighting problems plain to most, without a plan of action, albeit only within an online post site like this.
Regards
Hi Gavin, I now hold the view that when Warpac dissolved Nato should have done also. Instead it became a bigger “club” and had the effect of boxing in Russia. Of course what is given as an “assurance” by politicians is meaningless unless it is a legally binding treaty. Maybe those eastern countries should not have been accepted, hindsight is a luxury.
I can understand national pride on the part of Russia being hurt, loss of influence is what Putin has laboured to rectify, although China will happily march into Russia for resources one day, that alliance is very precarious imho.
I feel it is both territorial and a sense of “nationhood” on the parts of both Russia and China.
China happily ignores the UN, as does Russia leaving very little “the rest” can do about it bar rattle sabres.
Plan of action? I have no suggestions bar show intent, whether or not that will be taken as serious by Russia or China is another thing.
On the broader world stage the US, the EU for instance are wrapped up in domestic agendas that threaten their stability internally, and yes, our potential foes see that as weakness to be exploited.
Populism posing as strong government is a disaster, the “west” really has no leadership of quality, nor does anyone seem to be appearing in the wings anywhere. Think I would use the term fractured for most western countries.
War has a nasty habit of erupting from chain events as you no doubt are aware, for the UK it is a very precarious time, as in the US internal divisions are becoming more apparent by the week. That is not lost on potential adversaries, nor are they fooled by hyperbole issued from No.10 and the Whitehouse.
Funny you go on about treaties being broken Ivan ,Russia broke its promise to the Ukraine that if the Ukraine gave up its nukes Russia will not threaten , and when the Ukraine people decided to oust their Russian puppet leader Putin threw a hissy fit. Its also not NATO’s fault
that former nations occupied by the kremlin wanted to join western sphere of influence considering they are democracies ,Rich economies and free with futures ,so no wonder they turned away from Putins mafia state dragging them down, I take it you have never lived in a democracy because your logic is fatally floored Ivan.
Four out of ten for effort.
Big fail.
Its just a reply to you’re poor disillusioned mind Ivan its not hard ,enjoy your 7 rubles an hour work lol.
Appreciate your response, Jan. Share a number of your opinions on international relationships, if not all perspectives. But that’s debate (there’s still a hell of a lot of it out there on the quiet, if not so evident among ‘angry young persons’ with trigger digits). With regard to views expressed, I suppose we’ll know soon enough.
I love the term trigger digits, may l offer a humble response? I follow Ron Pauls philosophy of none intervention broadly. Yes, by all means defend what is rightfully and legally yours, but strictly no foreign interventions to impose your views.
Then the world is sadly influenced too much by corporate and banking greed. I feel much of the imposition of “liberal democracy” has not been to improve international situations but to further corporate interests. Western governments are plagued by lobbyists, particularly the US. That, in turn leads to unneeded and unlawful military adventures.
“Voters” generally do not take a broad view, was it Winston who famously said “if you want to find the faults with democracy, speak to the average voter for five minutes”.
Facts are the world is in constant flux, the long peace after Waterloo was funnily one of the most fruitful times for science, knowledge and social progress, sadly though that was at the expense of many cultures.
I follow several think tanks, most enlightening to me are the Begin Sadat Centre, also the US Army War College, both offer a very balanced and academically broad analysis of current events with future predictions.
Facts are hard to digest for many, the biggest one is that this century belongs to China. Yes its ambitions can be curbed with strong and meaningful military deterrence. That needs a broad agreement such as the one which contained the USSR.
The Pacific Rim is the new area where cooperation is needed, to include India, Japan and Australia with Vietnam increasingly.
Alliances based on clear principles of responses to aggression work. Nato proved that but as I stated earlier, I no longer believe it is necessary. And it has been underwritten by the US for decades.
Russia will see a slow return of the old eastern bloc as the EU crumbles, a sort of power vacuum seems to be emerging. And a fact is Russia is the closest supplier of gas to mainland Europe.
Just a few thoughts from my “Kremlin Bunker”.
No issue with any of that, really, whilst wholeheartedly acknowledging private interest (cut to the chase and call it corrupt). Whilst on the subject, the UK needs to get rid of the Upper House, an obscenity. Any justification for a much smaller re-Assembly would be on the strict lines of a few nationally accepted and voted for experts in their field. I speak as centre-right, by the way.
I do consider the electorate i.e. ‘an amorphous distillation of millions of mostly unvoiced impressions’ (which constitutes my attempt at a definition) as politically credit worthy whether or not Churchill was impressed by an ‘average’ voter (I note you’ve already commented on the average politician)! Of ‘curse’, he also admitted democracy the worst possible system – apart from all the others. Probably the most accepted definition; certainly hankered after by so very many.
No imposition of democracy, then. But defence where a country has managed to impose it internally and is now threatened is a more awkward, and multiplying, conundrum. I end again with ‘Time Will Tell’.
Cheers
But surely by your own reconning you’d have to agree that nukes and mutually assured destruction has contributed to world peace. Ironically Ukraine surrender of it nukes may have assured its own destruction.
Winston Churchill had many a thing to say on democracy.
How is that word “democracy” to be interpreted? My idea of it is that the plain, humble, common man, just the ordinary man who keeps a wife and family, who goes off to fight for his country when it is in trouble, goes to the poll at the appropriate time, and puts his cross on the ballot paper showing the candidate he wishes to be elected to Parliament—that he is the foundation of democracy. And it is also essential to this foundation that this man or woman should do this without fear, and without any form of intimidation or victimization. He marks his ballot paper in strict secrecy, and then elected representatives and together decide what government, or even in times of stress, what form of government they wish to have in their country. If that is democracy, I salute it. I espouse it. I would work for it.” —House of Commons, 8 December 1944
The majority of corespondents miss the point vis-a-vis the situation with Ukraine and Russia Ukrainian Armed Forces are a far cry from those that existed when Russia annnexed Crimea, with the exception of the Ukrainian Navy and interferred in the DONBAS Ukraine now has the second largest Army in Europe second only to that of Russia and is receiving considerable support from NATO in re-euiptment and training especially from POLAND which is by the way no mean military power itself. The Baltic States have a permanent Allied Airforce ‘in waiting. Whilst to my mind there is no doubt that if Russia decided to go full on into war that it could win BUT it would be a PYRRHIC victory at best and with it’s majortity CONSCRIPT Army the Russian public are all too aware of the body bags coming home from needless foriegn adventurism. [Though Defence of the Homeland would be a very different matter!] PUTIN is no fool and knows that NATO, UKRAINE the USA or the EU represent no military threat to Russia in any aggressive sense. Who would want the trouble of policing the bloody place anyway.
He also knows that throwing Russisia Army WEST would open the Eastern Gates to Chinese opportunism and bring about instatbility in the ISLAMIC REPUBLICS who are only waiting for an excuse for rebellion. Russia had enough trouble subduing CHECHNYA. All Putin has really achieved is to put NATO on alert to increase defence spending which Russia cannot hope to match I very much doubt that Russia could maintain it’s whole Army in the Field and it WOULD need it’s whole Army to overcome the Ukraine for more than a month.
The MISTAKE made by many in the WEST and by many Russians themselves, both of which really should know better. is that they still think of Russia as the old and defunct Soviet Union and if there is one thing Russia is not, it is NOT the Soviet Union, and Putin IS NOT Joseph Stalin.
You know the Soviet Union ? The one that collapsed into chaos without a shot being fired when a few determined rebels took it on. The same Soviet Union where15 republics declared Independence and the Warsaw Pact collapsed overnight!