NATO Summit, Day 1: Highlights

The NATO summit in Washington, D.C., dedicated to the Alliance’s 75th anniversary, began on July 9 and will continue until July 11. The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) urged all member states of the North Atlantic Alliance to deliver a decisive and unambiguous message to the democratic nations worldwide and the Moscow-led axis of authoritarian regimes.

On the Summit’s opening day, leaders from five NATO countries committed to bolstering Ukraine’s air defense capabilities, as stated on the White House website. The partners’ collective pledges amount to over $1 billion in support, which includes the provision of new systems and “hundreds of additional air defense interceptors over the next year.”

“As we strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses, we are grateful to the coalition of more than 50 countries that continues to provide security assistance to Ukraine, as well as to the Immediate Action on Air Defense Initiative – to which partners have pledged more than $1 billion in support of air defense for Ukraine – and the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Capability Coalition, co-led by Germany and France,” the statement said.

NATO is expanding cooperation with Ukraine and taking a leading role in ensuring security, training, and enhancing Ukraine’s capability to independently produce weapons, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

“The reality of the war in Ukraine had demonstrated not only that stockpiles and production capabilities were too small, but also that there were huge gaps in interoperability between troops,” Stoltenberg added. “The need for us to work more closely with partners. That’s partly Ukraine,” he noted.

Above all, as leaders of the free world, the President of the United States and other American leaders must stand firm in their defense of democracy. They should adopt an uncompromising stance against Putin and his inner circle, and remain resolute in their opposition to any form of terror, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute.

Zelenskyy urged the U.S. to lift existing restrictions on strikes against Russian territory to protect Ukrainian cities from guided air attacks. “America should not shy away from its strength. It is America that keeps the freedom for the world. That’s why the world values America – America which acts,” Zelenskyy emphasized.