Posted on 06/09/2023 7:43:15 AM PDT by jimwatx
The former civilian head of the NATO alliance has warned that some Eastern European states are prepared to send their soldiers to Ukraine if the bloc does not make significant pledges to Kiev at an upcoming summit.
Anders Rasmussen, former NATO secretary-general and a current adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, is touring Europe and Washington to gauge the level of support Kiev should expect at the Vilnius summit in July. “I think the Poles would seriously consider going in and assemble a coalition of the willing if Ukraine doesn’t get anything in Vilnius,” he said. “We shouldn’t underestimate the Polish feelings, the Poles feel that for too long western Europe did not listen to their warnings against the true Russian mentality.”
Poland and the Baltic states may send troops to Ukraine if the alliance fails to make a strong enough commitment to Kiev in Lithuania, according to Rasmussen. “If NATO cannot agree on a clear path forward for Ukraine, there is a clear possibility that some countries individually might take action. We know that Poland is very engaged in providing concrete assistance to Ukraine,” he continued. “I wouldn’t exclude the possibility that Poland would engage even stronger in this context on a national basis and be followed by the Baltic states, maybe including the possibility of troops on the ground.”
For several months, members of the North Atlantic alliance have debated how to upgrade Ukraine’s status at the Vilnius summit. Eastern European members and Kiev are seeking a concrete path to membership with a timeline for when Ukraine will be permitted to join. Some Western European states and Washington do not agree and prefer to focus on the war with Russia.
A subgroup of Eastern European countries within NATO dubbed the “Bucharest Nine” issued a statement on Tuesday calling for Ukraine to receive a path to membership. “We expect that in Vilnius, we will upgrade our political relations with Ukraine to a new level, and launch a new political track that will lead to Ukraine’s membership in NATO, once conditions allow,” the statement said. “We will continue our support to Ukraine on this path.”
French President Emmanuel Macron said last month that Paris will not support full membership for Kiev, urging NATO to “build something between the security provided to Israel and a full-fledged membership.”
There appears to be a consensus among members of the US-led military bloc on arming Ukraine as part of a significant multi-year commitment. “America and our allies are helping meet Ukraine’s needs on the current battlefield while developing a force that can deter and defend against aggression for years to come,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a speech in Finland on Friday. “That means helping build a Ukrainian military of the future, with long-term funding.”
Rasmussen claimed that Marcon was beginning to budge on the issue. “After a slow start, momentum was now building behind these ideas,” including in France, he said. The former official noted that some members, such as Germany, believe that outlining clear steps toward NATO membership for Ukraine could provoke Russia.
However, Rasmussen went on to observe that if some member states threatened to deploy troops to Ukraine, they could push Berlin and others to expedite the membership process.
What if they’re volunteers? Can’t imagine a higher-up deploying me.
Macron-same as Vichy. Surender monkeys.
I've been saying for a year that the US policy of gradual escalation means that the security interests of the Poles and other Eastern NATO members are being ignored and that they might decide to escalate the situation themselves to force a resolution of the issue.
The more I think of it, NATO troops to the Ukraine isn't a bad idea. They might have 30-50,000 troops collectively, and most don't know which bathroom to use. This could be over quickly.
“Neocons seem determined to bring NATO into this. They are pushing for WW3.”
Obviously, but those countries in Europe are now seeing what will happen to their troops if they try to take on Russia...so they might finally get a spine and tell the Neocons to send in American troops, alone, if that important to them.
Ukraine is not a NATO nation and supposedly it is not possible to join NATO if you are already in a war.
Yeah, I know, rules are things that used to be.
Get out of the military asap if possible.
Ask Serbia and Libya.
Will we ever be rid of NAFO aggression?
Poland and the Baltic countries never should have been brought into NATO to begin with. They are liabilities that the US doesn’t need. These countries were under no threat from Russia until they decided to align themselves with NATO.
We need an anti-war protest in DC!!!
I’d go.
“Will we ever be rid of NAFO aggression?”
Only if we elect Trump or RFK Jr. The rest of the candidates are fully onboard with this neocon agenda.
The Poles are, per Rasmussen, in the lead on this. Its an Eastern Euro thing. And those guys aren’t “neocons”.
You need to protest in Warsaw.
NATO are full blown NAZI supporters. U.S. out of NATO!
That’s not how the Poles and etc. saw it.
And they were in a better position to know the situation.
The notion that NATO "provoked" Russia is simply nonsense. No one with any sense could believe that all NATO countries would agree to attack Russia. Russia is simply returning to its historical mean of being a gangster, looting state.
I see. The Poles are nazis now?
Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Sounds like Lundberg from Office Space.
Yeah, Blackrock is going to need you to die in Ukraine.
Rasmussen is with CitiBank , fwiw.
Hey, Rasmussen, Fogh off !
“We need an anti-war protest in DC!!!
I’d go.”
Then watch you be declared a traitorous Russian asset and thrown in the Washington DC gulag right along with the Jan6 protesters.
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