US seeks to limit participation of Ukraine and four partners at NATO summit in Ankara – Politico

The United States is pressuring its NATO allies to ensure that Ukraine and partners from the Indo-Pacific region – Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea – do not formally take part in the Alliance's annual summit, which will be held in Ankara in July.

Source: European Pravda, citing Politico, Brussels-based politics and policy news organisation

Details: According to Politico's sources, this indicates that the White House wants to treat NATO strictly as a Euro-Atlantic defence pact and roll back decades of expanding its role in crisis management, global partnerships and values-based initiatives.

Despite US pressure, Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific partners may still be invited to side events.

Meanwhile, NATO staff have also proposed cancelling this year's public forum – a side event that usually brings together heads of state, defence experts and government officials for panel discussions and increases the visibility of the annual summit.

According to one of Politico's sources, a NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum is planned on the sidelines of the Ankara summit this year. NATO officials have explained to member countries that the move is aimed at cutting costs given limited resources.

Meanwhile, two diplomats said they believe the decision may also have been indirectly influenced by US pressure as part of Washington's broader campaign to reduce funding for international organisations.

Another diplomat stressed that such a move is "very harmful" at a time when the Alliance is trying to convince the wider public of the value of its work and increased defence spending.

"NATO has to communicate what's happening – and what it's going to do," the diplomat said.

Background:

• On 12 February, US Deputy Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby stated at a meeting of NATO defence ministers that the Alliance needs profound reform.
• He stated that the US wants to create a "NATO 3.0" that would not be based on Europe's dependence on America.

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