The US president also announced another $ 800 million (60 660 million) military aid to Kyiv – but questions remained about how many details were hidden behind the plan to build a 300,000-strong force to prevent any Russian attack. Speaking at a recent news conference in Madrid on Thursday, Biden was pressed twice over whether there would be a limit to US military aid and financial support for the regime in Kyiv as the war raged for a fifth month. “We will stay with Ukraine and all the allies will stay with Ukraine as long as necessary, and in fact we will make sure they are not defeated,” Biden told a news conference Thursday afternoon. But the president did not anticipate that Ukraine would be able to drive out the Russians, even with a steady supply of Western weapons. “I do not know how it will end, but it will not end with a Russian defeat of Ukraine,” he said. The president reiterated the wording when asked how long it would be fair for global consumers to pay for higher gasoline prices as fighting continued. People should wait “as long as it takes. “Russia can not really beat Ukraine.” Biden said the United States would unveil a new military aid package in the coming days that would include “new advanced weapons and air defense systems, more artillery ammunition, anti-battery radar, additional ammunition for the Torrent.” [rocket artillery] and some large missile systems. “ U.S. military aid to Ukraine has already exceeded $ 7 billion, Biden added, making Washington easily the largest donor of advanced weapons systems of the type that Kyiv says it desperately needs to mitigate a gradual but relentless Russian invasion of the region. East Donbass. During the summit, the United Kingdom said it would provide an additional 1 1 billion in lethal aid for cyber warfare, air defense and ammunition, bringing the total to 3 2.3 billion. France has said it will send six more Caesar cannons of the type that Russian bloggers said pressured Moscow forces to leave Snake Island in the Black Sea on Thursday. The president’s speech concluded one of the most important NATO meetings, as the alliance was revived and transformed by Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February. Earlier this week, an agreement was reached with Turkey to allow Finland and Sweden to join NATO, the two Nordic countries abandon decades of military neutrality and strengthen the alliance’s position in the Baltic region. Biden said Putin wanted “Finland’s NATO, but succeeded in Finland’s NATO” and that NATO would now be “closer than ever” as Finland shares an 830-mile border with Russia, far beyond any border. existing member. of the military alliance of 30 countries. Following Biden’s speech, the Turkish president warned that Ankara could block the process if the two countries fail to fully meet his expectations. In a makeshift press conference, Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed that Sweden had promised to extradite 73 “terrorists” to Turkey, a term not included in the agreement signed on Tuesday. Moscow Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that a new “iron curtain” is falling between Russia and the West, in a meeting with his counterpart from Belarus, one of the few countries with close ties. “They just have to be careful not to bite anything,” he said ironically. During the summit, NATO leaders signed a new 300,000-strong force to prevent any Russian invasion, and new information emerged about the plans on Thursday. NATO leaders in the meeting room in Madrid. Photo: Anadolu Agency / Getty Images NATO sources said it would include 100,000 Tier 1 troops available to move to the front line in “zero to 10 days” and another 200,000 Tier 2 troops that could be deployed in “up to 30 days”. However, while the United States and the United Kingdom announced new commitments during the summit, NATO officials acknowledged that the full plan would be needed by “mid-2023” to be completed. A key point of tension remains between Member States as to whether or not troops will be deployed in front-line countries. It was reported that Estonia and Lithuania were among the front-line countries calling for thousands of more NATO troops to be based on their territories. For now, however, the United Kingdom and Germany – for Estonia and Lithuania respectively – have agreed to deploy additional troops only if they are based in their homeland. “The plans are not complete because the national negotiation process is ongoing,” said a senior military official he trusts. “Lithuania says, ‘This is a wonderful thing you have to offer, but we would like to have more.’ “Estonians say that what is being offered in the United Kingdom is wonderful, but we may want to have a division.” Britain this week offered to deploy an additional 1,000 troops to defend Estonia, adding to its existing force of about 1,700 and taking the total number of troops deployed to the size of a brigade – but Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said that would be based in the United Kingdom. Subscribe to the First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7 p.m. BST A division would represent a much larger commitment, three to four brigades and perhaps 15,000. Britain has traditionally led NATO defense forces in Estonia, while Germany has taken over responsibility for Lithuania. Earlier this month, Estonian Prime Minister Kaya Callas said she feared her country could be “wiped off the map” as it stands and that NATO defense plans would soon be replaced. They allowed the Baltic states to be occupied for 180 days before seeking their release. Moscow announced on Thursday that it had summoned the British ambassador to Moscow to protest “offensive” British statements, including alleged Russian threats to use nuclear weapons. The Russian Foreign Ministry said it had protested to Ambassador Deborah Bronnert about “the frankly boring statements made by the British leadership about Russia, its leader and official representatives of the authorities, as well as the Russian people.” It was not immediately clear what specific remarks the statement referred to.
