This years NATO summit that concluded in Vilnius on Wednesday has resulted in a handful of unpleasant developments for the Kremlin, from solidifying the political shift of its longtime strategic partner Turkey to reiterating the alliances unwavering support for Ukraine nearly a year and a half into Russias invasion.While the summit saw the inaugural meeting of the newly established NATO-Ukraine Council, a platform aimed at deepening Ukraines cooperation with the United States -led alliance, members stayed short of meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys demand for a clear timeline for Ukraines ascension into the military alliance.In an emotional message published on the eve of his arrival to Lithuania, Zelensky voiced concern that NATOs cautious approach signals a desire to leave room for maneuver in potential negotiations with Russia.This means that a window of opportunity is being left to bargain Ukraine's membership in NATO in negotiations with Russia.
And for Russia, this means motivation to continue its terror, said Zelensky.The wording of the NATO summit communique issued late Tuesday seemed to have confirmed some of the Ukrainian presidents concerns.In the annual document, which outlines the alliances key priorities and commitments, NATO members once again called on Russia to cease its use of force against Ukraine and pledged to continue the delivery of urgently needed non-lethal assistance to Ukraine within the framework of the Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP).But while clearly stating that Ukraines future is in NATO, the communique stopped short of defining a clear timeframe or benchmarks to meet in order to achieve that future goal.The language of the communique was obviously weaker than the Ukrainian government and its supporters would have liked, said Ruth Deyermond, senior lecturer at the Department of War Studies at King's College London.There could have been a clearer timetable for accession, Deyermond told The Moscow Times.
The statement that it would happen when Allies agree and conditions are met is so vague that it could apply in a few months or never.While NATO has repeatedly warned Moscow of its resolve to escalate the conflict in Ukraine in the event that Russia deployed weapons of mass destruction, its members are also trying to avoid the perception of needlessly raising tensions a thinking reflected in the final communique, according to Jeff Hawn, a non-resident fellow at the New Lines Institute, a Washington-based foreign policy think tank.Russian leader Vladimir Putin named NATOs expansion into eastern Europe as one of his reasons for invading Ukraine in February 2022.There is still a deep reluctance to appear overly confrontational with Russia, Hawn told The Moscow Times.But Deyermond of Kings College cautioned against underestimating the role the newly created bilateral council and the alliances commitment to continuously providing aid to Ukraine play in deterring Russia, particularly when it comes to Kremlins expectation that the support for Ukraine among the Western public and elites would lessen as the conflict drags out."Each of these aid packages tips the scales further in Ukraines favor...They show that NATO is not giving up on Ukraine that, on the contrary, support for Ukraine against Russias invasion is strengthening," said Deyermond.Indeed, despite the dissatisfaction voiced by Ukraine and its allies, the pledge for long-term support made by G7 countries on the final day of the Vilnius summit prompted a swift and furious response from the Kremlin.We consider this an extremely wrong and potentially very dangerous [decision], Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wednesday.By giving security guarantees to Ukraine, they [G7 members] are threatening the security of the Russian Federation.But all experts agreed that the biggest blow to the Kremlin came on the eve of the summit, when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to greenlight Swedens bid for NATO membership after blocking it for months over concerns that the Nordic state has been providing asylum to Kurdish militants.The NATO summit was the absolute triumph of the Turkish president, said Vlada Stankovi, a specialist on Turkey at the University of Belgrade.Erdogans change of heart won him the only thing he wanted, according to Stankovi, as United States President Joe Biden confirmed that Washington will supply Ankara with F-16 fighter jets, which confirms that Turkey once again became a reliable ally within the NATO alliance.But for Russia, Turkeys politicking in Vilnius and its immediate outcomes served as yet more proof that its closest NATO partner is taking a 180-degree political turn away from the Kremlin.Just last week, Erdogan publicly backed Ukraines bid for NATO membership during President Volodymyr Zelenskys visit to Turkey and allowed the return of commanders of the Azov battalion to Ukraine a move that Moscow labeled a direct violation of the terms of existing agreements.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday said Moscow will make conclusions and take appropriate measures in response to NATOs Nordic expansion, without mentioning Turkeys role in the matter.Turkey is one of the two NATO states [alongside Hungary] seen as least hostile to Russia, said Deyermond of King's College London.It sends a signal that attempts to weaken NATO from inside are not working as well as Putin might have hoped.