On October 11-12, defense ministers from NATO’s 31 member states gathered in Brussels, where they discussed current Alliance activities and the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The meeting could not have been more timely. Last month, Poland announced that it would stop sending defense aid to Ukraine. The statement came shortly after Ukraine said it would submit a complaint to the International Trade Organization stating that Poland and Slovakia were unwilling to assist it in its grain exports. Poland argued that it was acting in the interest of Polish farmers, and as a result, it banned Ukrainian grain exports.
Slovaks were also offended by Ukraine’s complaint, and they made their opinions known. During the September 2023 parliamentary election, Progressive Slovakia, a populist party headed by a pro-Russian, won the election. Following its victory, the group said it would stop sending aid to Ukraine. (Ukraine recently withdrew its complaint to the ITO on Poland and Slovakia after completing a new grain deal with Romania and Moldova.)
As for the United States, Republican members of the House of Representatives are split over aid to Ukraine. Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said that the U.S. should stop writing a “blank check” for Ukraine. Other Republican representatives, such as Matt Gates (R-Fla.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), have called to remove Ukraine aid entirely. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) also opposes aid to Ukraine.
Based on these events, one might have assumed that the situation for Ukraine was dire. Was the West changing its stance? Poland, Slovakia, and the United States, after all, are all members of NATO, and three members of the Alliance seemed to be altering their stance on Ukraine.
But the situation did not change. In fact, support for Ukraine now appears stronger than ever.
During the defense ministers’ summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Alliance members. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that all Alliance members agreed that Ukraine would eventually become part of NATO. He also issued a statement saying that the 31-member organization strongly supported Ukraine in its fight, and that the organization would continue to provide aid to Ukraine. In short, NATO’s support is unwavering.
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Zelenskyy also received numerous commitments from NATO members. The Alliance stated it would provide F-16s and aircraft training, long-range missiles, air defense systems, ammunition, demining equipment, and other forms of defense aid and military hardware.
For example, Denmark and Belgium pledged F-16s while Bulgaria and Belgium stated they would provide F-16 training. The United Kingdom, Norway, and Spain would provide demining equipment. Canada, Lithuania, and Spain would provide assistance for winter preparation. Germany would provide missiles for air defense and tanks, while Finland would give other forms of defense aid. Even amidst the fiasco in the House of Representatives, the United States committed additional air defense artillery. Finally, Poland walked back its statement about no longer providing aid to Ukraine.
Overall, the developments from the October 2023 NATO Ministers of Defense Summit suggest that the Alliance is ready, willing, and able to assist Ukraine during its time of need. The organization is continuing to send the defense equipment the Ukrainians need, and this will help Ukraine win the war. In other words, there are no signs that support within the Alliance is wavering in any significant way.
NATO-Ukraine relations remain strong, and as this relationship continues to develop, one would be foolish to dismiss the significance of this most recent meeting; it’s likely a sign of what is to come.
Mark Temnycky is an accredited freelance journalist covering Eurasian affairs and a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. He can be found on X @MTemnycky
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