Biden says no ‘unanimity’ on NATO offer to Kyiv

Joe Biden said there’s no “unanimity about bringing Ukraine into NATO as the military alliance prepares to meet in Vilnius. The US president departed Washington on Sunday and will meet with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in London on Monday before traveling to Lithuania for the NATO summit, which starts Tuesday.

“I don’t think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war, Biden said in an interview with CNN conducted on Friday and broadcast on Sunday. “If the war is going on, then we’re all in war. We’re at war with Russia, if that were the case. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met with his Polish counterpart on Sunday, the latest in a round of diplomacy with NATO members ahead of the summit. Zelenskiy also discussed a possible path to negotiations in an ABC News interview.

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The foreign ministers of Turkey and Russia spoke by phone on Sunday. Hakan Fidan and Sergei Lavrov discussed recent developments around Ukraine, including the recent return of Azov regiment commanders from Turkey to Ukraine. The pair also talked about the soon-to-expire Black Sea shipping agreement. Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement that the continued supply of military equipment to Kyiv “could only lead to negative consequences for Ankara.

The US decision on Friday to provide controversial cluster bombs to Ukraine continues to cause waves, with NATO members Italy, the UK and Spain – all strong allies to Kyiv — questioning the move. Ukraine has said it will maintain strict controls over the use of the weapons. Sunak and Biden are expected to discuss the US decision in their meeting.

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