This may include adverts from us and 3 rd parties based on our understanding. Mr Zelenskyy wrote: NATO leaders confirmed that Ukraine will become a member of the Alliance and the MAP is an integral part of the membership process. If we are talking about NATO and the MAP, I would really like to get from Biden the specifics yes or no We must get clear dates and the likelihood of this for Ukraine. Russian opposition to the membership happening saw US Secretary of Defence, Lloyd Austin intervene by saying: Ukraine has a right to decide its own future foreign policy, and we expect that they will be able to do that without any outside interference No Country Has Veto on Ukraine s NATO Aspirations Ties between Russia and NATO are at an all-time low after eight Russian diplomats were expelled from their mission at the alliance headquarters in Brussels following accusations of spying. Russia suspends mission to NATO 'in response' to the bloc's actions.
Russia responded by confirming it will be suspending its mission to NATO, as well as ordering the NATO Moscow office to close. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said of the move: We do not have the conditions for even basic diplomatic activity as a result of intentional steps by NATO If NATO officials needed to contact Moscow, they could do so via the Russian ambassador to Belgium. Oana Lungescu said: We regret these steps NATO s policy towards Russia remains consistent. We have strengthened our deterrence and defence in response to Russia's aggressive actions, while at the same time we remain open to dialogue, including through the NATO-Russia Council. Adding to Russian concerns over the expansion of NATO Belarus President Vladimir Putin: It's clear we need to react to this We agreed that we need to take some kind of measures in response, following a meeting with Russian President Alexander Lukashenko.
With new world powers branching out their military reach towards the Indo-Pacific region as China becomes labelled as the new threat the notion of NATO continuing its role has often been questioned. The alliance was set up to counter the rising threat of the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. As diplomacy grew stronger between the two sides after the collapse of the Soviet bloc, and Russia emerged, many questioned whether NATO was still justified as a military entity. Further division was caused within the bloc when former US President, Donald Trump raised concerns that member states were not paying their fair share financially, with a suggested amount of 2 percent of respective member GDP s a minimum, simply not being met by some of the members. Macon labelled a FROG by former President OPINION US Taiwan strategy in peril as China invasion fear explodes ANALYSIS German industry meltdown as prices soar to 47 - YEAR high REPORT However, with the international security threat appearing to move further east, the inclusion of Ukraine into the NATO family may be a ploy to once again spark the necessity of NATO, leaving Russia no choice but to act on the matter. The NATO annexation of Crimea was largely disapproved by the Russian community. With NATO now seeking a strategic ally in Kyiv, tension could mount should Russia exert any further pressure on Ukraine, as by NATO standards, members are duty-bound to protect each other. With Russia already a major NATO ally to the south of the Black Sea, which enjoys the main entry and exit point to the body of water, as well as potentially having Ukraine to the north of the sea, Turkey s advantageous position in the region is placed into a chokepoint, raising tension further.