In a conversation with a representative of the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), Yavorchik noted that with the outbreak of war in Ukraine, the Alliance has become a convenient platform that has helped allied countries not only to effectively coordinate aid to Ukraine, but also to strengthen their own defense.
“Before the outbreak of aggression in February 2022, Slovakia was still considering whether to modernize its defense capabilities slowly or quickly,†notes Javorczyk, “and suddenly we are getting rid of remnants of weapons from the era by replacing them with modern western weapons, western-style equipment or western-style joint equipment, and on top of that, we are also openly discussing how to strengthen NATO’s presence on the eastern flank.
“This is a significant breakthrough,” notes Javorchik, “since the Alliance has previously been very cautious in demonstrating its presence on the eastern borders.”
According to the Slovak diplomat, the current situation has also prompted many countries of the alliance to devote more funds to defense and security needs, not limited to the minimum of 2% of GDP proposed by NATO, as well as a significant portion of their budgets. for military assistance to Ukraine.
“Slovakia has already provided or is providing funding equal to 25% of our national budget. This amounts to almost half a million euros for equipment, various auxiliary ammunition and training. It’s huge money. It is obvious that we want to help the Ukrainians acquire the weapons that will allow them to oust the Russians from their territory and to ensure that if in the future a party plans to attack Ukrainian soil, it will be afraid to do so , because she will be severely punished..
Responding to a question about Ukraine’s criteria for victory in the war, Yavorchik noted that victory does not come when Russian soldiers leave the territory of a country. The Slovak politician believes that Ukraine’s strategic victory will come when the country is able to defend its sovereignty and negotiate a truce and new negotiations “on Kiev terms”. According to Yavorchik, it also means connecting Ukraine to Europe’s political, economic and defense markets.
The Slovak diplomat also expressed the hope that at the next NATO summit in Vilnius, Ukraine would receive more concrete guarantees than the promise to join the Alliance made in 2008: “There must be a new agreement, a restructuring of the political dialogue between NATO and Ukraine, which will undoubtedly show that Ukraine is part of a larger defense or security market based on the rules established by the Treaty of Washington.
It will be a valid response to Kiev’s demands to be part of the political, economic and defense environment, he said.
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