FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT
MONACO – The Russian nuclear threat and weapons for Ukraine. Yesterday was another hectic day between Washington, with Joe Biden's response to the Kremlin, and Brussels, where the summit of NATO defense ministers took place. Today the discussion moves to Munich, where the security conference begins. Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to speak tomorrow and in the meantime is preparing to conclude a bilateral agreement with France.
Biden's moves
From the American capital, John Kirby, one of the spokesman for the White House, announced that the American president did not give the green light to the dissemination of information that the US secret service had collected about Russian maneuvers. Rumor has it that Moscow is developing a nuclear bomb that can disable US satellites. Kirby added that only Democratic and Republican congressional leaders will be notified. In addition, the White House will initiate a “diplomatic action”, that is, the opening of a confrontation with Moscow, since this nuclear weapon would violate the rules of the “Outer Space Treaty” signed by the United States, the European Union, the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom in Year 1967.
The Stoltenberg brake
However, in Brussels, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg tried to tone down the alarm during a press conference: “There are no immediate military threats against the member states.” With regard to the possible Russian atomic bomb, he limited himself to the statement: “In NATO “We constantly exchange information between the allies and, of course, monitor all potential threats from all directions.” The discussion about nuclear power has another implication: The European Union is discussing the possibility of equipping itself with a self-sufficient nuclear deterrent, independent of the US one . There is also the possibility of appointing a defense commissioner to the next Brussels executive. President Ursula von der Leyen says she agrees. For Stoltenberg, however, NATO's nuclear weapons continue to be a guarantee for all 31 member countries. It is better to avoid duplication of work. The central point remains the supply of weapons to Zelensky. The ministers noted that Western arsenals are emptying.
The weapon node
Stoltenberg notes that “we need to move from the slow speed of peacetime to the high-speed production required in conflict.” To do this, producers need signed contracts and in the last few months NATO has signed contracts worth tens of billions of dollars.” In any case It will take months until the first results are visible. However, Stoltenberg reported on the recent aid packages from Canada, Finland and Norway: “These include equipment and spare parts for the F-16 jets.”
And again: “A group of allies is working to deliver a million drones to Ukraine, and 20 countries will form specialized demining teams.” Meanwhile, the law firms are examining whether they should reach out more continuously to other countries, such as South Korea. Finally, it was decided to transfer the so-called “Ramstein Group”, consisting of over 50 countries, which have so far provided military means and resources to Zelensky. Reason? 99% of supplies come from Atlantic Alliance partners. In addition to weapons, also training. NATO will build a training center for Ukrainian soldiers in Bydgoszcz, a city in central Poland. The Secretary General said it would also be a structure for “analyzing the lessons we have learned from the war against Russia.”
The Zelensky Agreements
The President of Ukraine is on the move again. Today he will be in Paris, where he will sign a comprehensive bilateral aid agreement with Emmanuel Macron. From the economy to the military sector. The agreement with France follows the agreement with the United Kingdom. It is the program set by the G7: All Big Seven have committed to establishing a formal relationship with Ukraine. In the next few days it will be Germany's turn and then Italy's turn. Also today, Zelensky will meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and then travel to Munich, where he will speak at the World Security Conference.