In a clear signal to bolster its Western alliances, the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on Thursday, simultaneously hosted three prominent Western officials, capitalizing on these visits to urge an intensification of military support in preparation for winter battles.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed NATO’s Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg, in Kyiv. This visit coincided with the arrival of both the British Defense Minister and the French Army Minister. On Friday, Kyiv is set to host an international forum dedicated to defense industries.
A portion of the discussions between Zelensky and Stoltenberg focused on Kyiv’s bid to join NATO. President Zelensky viewed this aspiration as “only a matter of time”. In contrast, Stoltenberg opined that Kyiv is “closer to the alliance than ever before,” though he refrained from setting a specific timeline, given the differing stances of NATO member countries.
Meanwhile, Moscow presented a budget draft proposing a 68% increase in military expenditures by 2024 compared to the previous year, reaching 10,800 billion rubles (approximately 106 billion euros at the current exchange rate). The Kremlin justified this direction by pointing to the demands of the present times. Responding to questions about this increase, the Presidential Spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, mentioned, “Russia continues its military operations and is in a state of hybrid warfare.”
In a related context, Belarus accused a Polish helicopter of violating its airspace twice yesterday, marking a new incident amidst rising tensions between the neighboring nations. A similar incident happened at the Belarusian border on September 1st, when, according to Minsk, a Polish MI-24 military helicopter made a brief incursion.
This series of events underscores the escalating tensions and the evolving geopolitics in Eastern Europe, with countries bolstering their alliances and defense mechanisms.
