With conflicts ranging across the globe and the specter of
a new World War looming large in Europe,
one would have expected a push for peace at the
NATO summit in Washington.
Our next report explores how.
As the summit unfolds, it's becoming clear that NATO's focus
is firmly fixated on increasing spending arming Ukraine,
rather than exploring the path for peace.
This treaty is a simple document.
The nations which sign it agreed to abide by the
peaceful principles of the United Nations
to maintain friendly relations and Economic Cooperation with one another.
75 years ago, U.S. President Harry Truman outlined the broad
contours of NATO,
an alliance to check the Soviet expansion post World War
2.
Today, with Russia's invasion of Ukraine,
NATO finds itself at a crossroads.
The conflict has reached its doorstep
and Europe finds itself on the edge of a large
scale war.
But NATO leaders are not pushing for a diplomatic resolution.
Instead, that action in pushing more weapons and financial aid
into Ukraine seems to be fueling the fire rather than
dousing it.
U.S. President Joe Biden is warning that Russia wants to
conquer all of Ukraine and even target Poland's next.
He has reassured NATO members of continued support for Ukraine,
promising more military aid, including Patriot air defence systems,
F Sixteens and more advanced weaponry.
We can and will defend every inch of NATO territory
and we'll do it together
and that we're investing in our future strength to ensure
NATO will always be ready for whatever threats we'll face
should be a clear message we're making to the
sending to the world.
This unwavering stance towards war exposes a troubling disconnect.
While hawkish pronouncements are filling the air conditioned halls of
the NATO summit,
a recent study by the European Council on Foreign Relations
reveals a different sentiment on the ground.
Ordinary Europeans are skeptical of
Ukraine's chances of a military victory and yearn for a
negotiated settlement.
Shutting out Russia and leaving no room for dialogue leaves
no hope for an end to the Russia Ukraine war.
Instead, it risks a direct confrontation with Russia.
It is a prospect that flies in the face of
the reality of modernity,
where true strength is not measured by the size of
arsenals,
but in the ability to build bridges,
foster dialogue and address the root cause of conflict and
destruction.
Your report, Beyond World is one.
For more on the story,
we are now being joined by Jane Kinnenmont,
director of a policy and impact at the European Leadership
Network.
She's joining us from Washington,
DC Thank you so much for joining us on We
on and welcome to the show.
It appears that NATO leaders are reaffirming their commitment to
Ukraine with a promise of additional military aid as well
as weapons.
What are your thoughts on this and how do you
see these developments?
Well, thank you very much for inviting me all.
I'm here at the Native Public Forum,
which gathers about 600 experts to come and listen to
leaders who are popping in and out the summit next
door.
And it is really interesting you to hear the perception
that that you are articulating that not enough is being
done to prepare for peace and the perception that spending
more on militaries is about preparing for war.
It seems slightly different standing here.
The way it is being articulated is very much
NATO countries thinking that they don't have a choice.
A lot of people are saying the only language that
Russia understands is power,
and they are arming to defend NATO territory rather than
to attack.
But of course in this world where people in different
places perceive things so differently,
it is very easy for one unmanaged defence to be
perceived by another as preparing for aggression.
So I do agree that finding more communication channels is
extremely important.
One of the things we've been talking about here is
the recent visit of
Victor Orban to Moscow and how it makes no sense
to leave these contacts to somebody that is going with
one country's agenda.
You know, what are the ways to actually have a
more constructive,
multi lacking dialogue really the way it seems from here,
it's about defense. It's not about attack.
Very interesting. And following up on
your analysis, do you think that NATO member states are
prioritizing military aid over diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict?
Well, NATO is originally a military alliance,
although it has a political element,
it does have political beatings.
But at the end of the day,
it is an alliance that is focused primarily on defense
and a terrorist,
while you need also to look at the UN,
the PE Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe,
which is unfortunately not very active at the moment,
and also the the European Union
for and bilateral countries for more diplomacy.
There has been recently a summit in Switzerland which did
not include Russia,
but which was designed to try to get more countries
on the same page
to think about like what a future negotiation settlement would
look like.
Problem is still about territory and it's about trust.
So in territory, there is a sense among NATO countries,
even a country like Turkey that otherwise has quite good
relationship with Russia,
that it's dangerous to cede territory to Russia because it
might take more.
And that's what also brings us to trust that I
think for the Russians.
And people in NATO are quite skeptical that if a
peace agreement is reached that it will last.
So again, a lot of at the top here is
about giving security guarantees to Ukraine.
But that's also important, you know,
if there goes to be some kind of peace agreement,
to make sure that whatever was agreed became a statement.
Because around the world we often see examples where peace
agreements are reached,
but they're not in some instance.
So how to implement them,
you know, at a time when there's very little of
us in international law and international policies?
OK, Well, we'll be watching very closely.
We do know that President Biden,
in just a few hours from now,
we'll be meeting with Ukrainian President Lorimer Zelinsky.
I'm sure we'll get a lot more news coming out
of that meeting.
And I really look forward to speaking to you again
very soon.
Thank you so much for joining us on WE on
this.
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