Ukraine's military commander absent from NATO meeting due to 'complicated situation'

According to RT , Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valery Zaluzhny, known as the "iron general", has decided not to attend the NATO summit on May 10 due to the "complicated operational situation" in the country.

Rob Bauer, chairman of NATO’s military committee, addressed the general’s absence in his opening remarks at the NATO defense chiefs’ meeting. Bauer said he had received a letter from “our friend” Zaluzhny on May 9 explaining that he was “unable” to attend in person or via video link.

NATO officials explained the reason for General Zaluzhny's decision as the "complicated operational situation" in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

Ukraine's military chief absent from NATO meeting due to 'complicated situation' — Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valery Zaluzhny. (Photo: AFP)

Ukraine has been planning a large-scale counteroffensive against Russian forces for months, but has delayed launching the operation, with Kiev officials complaining about bad weather, a lack of ammunition and the West's failure to provide fighter jets.

A Politico report a few weeks ago stated that the US, Ukraine's main backer, is concerned that the impact of the Ukraine attack may not be as expected.

Speaking about the conflict in Ukraine, Mr. Bauer noted that the fighting was “in its 15th month” and noted “the strong resilience and excellent tactical skills of the Ukrainian army, supported by 50 countries around the world .”

Russia has never set a timeline for its military operation in Ukraine, saying it will continue until Moscow has achieved all its planned goals.

The meeting that Gen. Zaluzhny missed focused on NATO’s plans and methods “to protect important and relevant positions in our alliance against two threats… Russia and terrorist groups,” Bauer said. The NATO official added that fulfilling those plans would require “more troops and a high level of readiness across the alliance.”

Russia has warned for years that it views NATO expansion eastward toward its borders as a “red line.” Kiev’s desire to join the US-led bloc was cited by Moscow as one of the main reasons for deploying forces to Ukraine more than a year ago.

In another development, on May 9, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Spain’s El Pais newspaper that both Kiev and Moscow believe they can secure a military victory and are therefore unwilling to compromise. Therefore, he believes there is little chance that Ukraine and Russia will soon sit down at the negotiating table.

“Unfortunately, I believe that peace negotiations are not possible at this time,” Mr. Guterres said in an interview with El Pais . He explained that Russia appeared unwilling “at this time to withdraw from the territories it controls” while “Ukraine is hoping to retake them” by force.

The diplomat added that - despite the current situation - the UN is doing everything possible to bring Kiev and Moscow to the negotiating table.

The UN chief cited the grain deal – whose future is in doubt after Russia refused to extend it beyond May 18 – as “the most important initiative” so far. Guterres said senior representatives were working to arrange a meeting of stakeholders in Istanbul to extend the deal.

Earlier, speaking to Turkey’s Haberturk TV on May 7, Ibrahim Kalin, a top adviser to the Turkish president on foreign policy, said: “This war will not end with positional gains, but with a new security arrangement between two global blocs.” He argued that the current conflict is really a conflict between Russia and the Western collective.

(Source: Tin Tuc Newspaper/RT)

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