Words of NATO Support Welcome but Cheap

President Poroshenko’s meeting earlier today with five NATO heads of state was indeed an auspicious occasion for Ukraine, which has been dragged into an eight-month-long war by Russia.

Indeed, the words of support without a doubt resounded favorably among hopeful Ukrainian ears. Conversely they must have sounded like fingernails scratching an old-fashioned chalkboard to Putin.

Poroshenko correctly called the meeting with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron, President of the United States Barack Obama, Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, Prime Minister of Italy Matteo Renzi and President of France François Hollande “outstanding.” Ukraine had been in the presence of European leaders in the past but never was it the center of attention during a time of war with its arch enemy.

“Unique format of the meeting demonstrates support of NATO countries to the territorial integrity of Ukraine which faces foreign aggression,” Poroshenko said at the beginning of the meeting. “There is an understanding that supporting Ukraine, supporting peace, stability and de-escalation of the situation in the East of Ukraine, they maintain stability of Europe and the world. It is not only the issue of Ukrainian conflict, it is a global issue.”

The Ukrainian president added that he had never felt such “powerful support” for Ukraine by NATO heads of states.

NATO leadership’s words of support are welcome but with Russian regular troops and mercenaries fighting Ukrainian military forces on Ukrainian territory something more is expected. The 200 US soldiers heading to Ukraine for war games and the soldiers, ships and planes from other supportive countries is equally welcome but not enough to stop the Russian advance.

Poroshenko laid a pragmatic plan for acceding to the EU and NATO that would take into consideration naysayers in Ukraine.

"In order to touch upon the issue of joining the Alliance, Ukraine must carry out a series of reforms. That is why we are paying much attention to reformation and modernization of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. We will develop our defense sector to the level of NATO," he said.

"Next week we will provide a program of reforms elaborated jointly with the EU and NATO," he added.

Finally, "When the country will meet all the criteria of membership, when the people of Ukraine will decide how and when the accession to the block will happen.”

The future of Ukraine’s global acceptance – or at least by the EU and NATO – looks promising but the enemy is already fighting inside Ukraine. It should be clear to the five NATO leaders that words alone will not force Putin to withdraw his armies back into Russia.

Poroshenko thanked the alliance “for the practical help and assistance provided to Ukraine in recent months – humanitarian assistance to the civilian population affected by the armed conflict; advisory support; medical treatment of injured Ukrainian servicemen.”

He then outlined the steps that should be taken before serious consideration can be given to Ukraine’s NATO membership, including improving cooperation.

“We agreed that our further cooperation will be focused on achieving full interoperability between Ukraine and NATO and developing joint capabilities in military, defence and security sectors.

“We will strengthen our intensive cooperation with NATO in defence and security sector through development and capacity building programmes, focusing on reforms of Ukrainian armed forces and other security structures.

“The second important element of the new NATO-Ukraine cooperation Strategic Framework is Ukraine’s participation in Partnership Interoperability Initiative.

“This will allow us to maintain a high level of interoperability between Ukrainian and NATO forces achieved though continuous participation of our national contingents in NATO-led missions and operations, joint military exercises, NATO Response Force.

“Last but not least element of the new Framework is further deepening of NATO-Ukraine Distinctive Partnership.

“We consider this Partnership to be an integral part of Ukraine’s European integration course… Such an approach will create necessary synergy between Ukraine’s European integration and Euro-Atlantic cooperation tracks.”

Poroshenko spoke well and the other NATO leaders spoke well. There was as much substance in what was said as in what was omitted and Moscow certainly studies both.

The Washington Post opined in an editorial titled “Ukraine Deserves Support from NATO Countries Even if It’s not Part of the Alliance: “Intentionally or not, the White House and NATO are sending Mr. Putin the message that Ukraine can be sacrificed. ‘Ukraine is not a member of NATO,’ Mr. Obama gratuitously stated last week while downplaying the Russian invasion as nothing new. A White House official told reporters that the president’s message to Moscow is, ‘Don’t even think about messing around in Estonia or in any of the Baltic areas in the same way that you’ve been messing around in Ukraine.’”

The point is, NATO leaders, that the front is already in Ukraine, not Estonia. Ukraine is where Ukrainians and their kindred spirits in NATO and beyond must make their stand against Russian imperialism.