July 10
Boris Johnson:
This week’s Nato summit in Vilnius must atone for decades of fatal ambiguity – and offer a clear path for Ukraine’s membership of the North Atlantic Alliance.
It is ridiculous to say that Ukraine’s Nato membership could somehow “provoke” Putin. It is absurd to talk about the risk of “escalation”.
Putin didn’t launch the bloodiest war in Europe for 80 years because he feared that Ukraine was about to join Nato. Everybody could see that was nonsense.
He attacked precisely because Ukraine was NOT a member, and unlikely to become one for the foreseeable future – and therefore had no valid western security guarantees.
Putin attacked Ukraine because for 30 years we in Nato have dithered and refused to be clear about Ukraine’s future.
The time for ambiguity is over. Our doublespeak has brought us nothing – and it has brought disaster for Ukraine.
The Ukrainians are fighting for freedom everywhere, and when they have won they will need the same protection as the east Europeans and the Baltic states.
The Ukrainians need the clarity and simplicity of Nato membership – and with that clarity will come peace and stability, for Russia as well as for Ukraine.
Every single argument against Ukraine’s Nato membership has been – or is being – demolished by events.
Every day the Ukrainians are showing greater skill in using Nato-compatible weaponry. No country has done more to show the bravery and efficiency of their armed forces.
It is no excuse to say that Ukraine is still territorially divided. So was Germany in 1955, when the then West Germany became a Nato member. The process must be begun.
By invading an entirely innocent country, without provocation, Putin has annihilated the last remaining objection to Ukraine’s Nato membership.
When he loses, as he must and will, we must ensure that neither he nor any future Kremlin ruler can embark on such insanity again.
The answer is full Nato membership for Ukraine. Let the Vilnius summit show the way.
Ukraine #NATO #OTAN
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Ukraine-Russia news – live: Putin accused of war crimes after Kyiv school bombed.
ARPAN RAI, MARTHA MCHARDY AND MATT DRAKE
July 11, 2023
Five people have been killed in a Russian bomb attack which hit a humanitarian aid point handing out food.
The bomb struck in Orkhiv which is on the frontline in southeastern Zaporizhzhia, according to the National Police of Ukraine.
People were getting food, water and other humanitarian aid supplies when the attack happened on Sunday.
Russia has been accused of a war crime in the wake of the attack.
Zaporizhzhia Regional Governor Yuriy Malashko said: “Russians have committed another war crime.
“They launched a guided aerial bomb at a residential neighborhood as people were getting aid.
“Three women and a man died immediately, and 11 were hospitalised.”
He later said that a fifth victim, a man, was pulled out of the rubble.
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Putin’s aide Medvedev threatens attack on nuclear plants in Kyiv and Europe
Monday 10 July 2023 05:21 , Arpan Rai
Vladimir Putin’s close aide Dmitry Medvedev has threatened to attack Ukraine’s nuclear power plants and other nuclear facilities in eastern Europe in retaliation over unconfirmed allegations on Telegram that Ukrainian forces tried to strike a nuclear power plant in Russia’s Smolensk with British missiles.
“If the attempted Nato missile attack on Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant is confirmed, then it is necessary to consider the scenario of a Russian strike on the south Ukraine nuclear power plant, Rivne nuclear power plant, and Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant, as well as nuclear facilities in eastern Europe,” he said in a post on Telegram messaging app.
The former Russian president and now deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia was referring to online claims about an attempted attack – not reported by any authorities – on Russia’s Smolensk nuclear facility by Ukraine’s armed forces.
The same report claimed there had been an attempted strike on a military air base in the Kaluga region using either 5Ð28 or British Storm Shadow missiles.
The claims were made by the popular Telegram channel Mash, which said Russian air defence systems shot down the missiles.
No Russian state media reports of the attack have been broadcast so far, and officials in the Smolensk and Kaluga regions did not report any incidents on Sunday.
The Russian nuclear facility said its two power units are operating routinely, while the third unit is under scheduled repairs.
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Why NATO Needs Ukraine.
By Kurt Volker:
https://cepa.org/article/why-nato-needs-ukraine/
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Very good words from our friend, Boris.
The West cannot be proud of its behavior during the past few decades. Their stupidity – yes, stupidity – will be carefully recorded in every good history book. The ones responsible for this war cannot escape the truth through lies, half-truths and forgetfulness.
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