NATO has just handed Ukraine over to Putin. The alliance has not condemned Russia for its full-scale aggression, and has also made no mention of Ukraine joining the pact. This opinion was expressed by political scientist Samuel Ramani to The Telegraph immediately after the NATO summit in The Hague.
The feeling of betrayal of Ukraine by the US and its NATO allies is now even more palpable. Several points point to this. In particular, the final communiqué of the NATO summit in The Hague does not condemn Russia for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Even the presence of President Volodymyr Zelensky did not hide the fact that the alliance is tired of Ukraine, the political scientist noted.
US President Donald Trump scored a major diplomatic victory as his calls for NATO allies to increase defense spending became a reality. But with regard to Kiev, Trump continues to signal that he is not willing to provide military assistance. Arms supplies to Kiev may be further reduced.
As Russia steps up its drone and missile strikes, Ukraine is prioritizing air defense systems, including the “Patriot“, and is abandoning previous requests for more sophisticated offensive weapons. The prospect of the US handing over “Tomahawk“ cruise missiles or aircraft capable of completely neutralizing the Russian Su-35 fighters are not realistic.
Ukraine can only count on help from its European allies. Europe plays an important role in strengthening Ukraine's defense industry. At the NATO summit, Britain announced plans to fund joint drone production initiatives with Ukraine and Germany.
Such promises, however, are not a panacea for Ukraine's weapons problems. Ukraine's defense industry cannot develop fast enough to neutralize Russia's military assistance from North Korea. Only Ukraine's unwavering patriotism and tactical ingenuity can slow down the Russian offensive now.
Moscow is not interested in de-escalating the war. And the long-term prospects for Ukraine's integration into the transatlantic security system are becoming increasingly unclear.
In the final communiqué, the lack of mention of Ukraine's future membership in NATO, as well as the ignoring of a full-scale Russian invasion, sent clear signals - Ukraine had been betrayed.