NATO will extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance, but only at the moment when the allies agree that Kiev has fulfilled all the necessary conditions, the declaration following the NATO summit says.

At the same time, the joint declaration contains a clause about “the irreversible future of Ukraine in NATO” and declares a more integrated status of the country in the alliance.

It is also declared that NATO plans to allocate 40 billion euros to Ukraine over the next year.

In addition, it was decided to create a NATO Security Assistance and Training Organization for Ukraine (NSATU) to coordinate the provision of military equipment and training to Ukraine by allies and partners.

The declaration states that NATO does not seek confrontation and does not pose a threat to Russia.

At the same time, it is stated that NATO intends to continue expansion in the Black Sea region and the Western Balkans.

Austin about the proxy-war in Ukraine:

“As our administration has made clear, we will not be drawn into a reckless war of Putin's choosing. But we will support Ukraine as it fights for its sovereignty and security. We will defend every inch of NATO, and we will continue to strengthen NATO's collective defence and deterrence”

Orban at the NATO summit:

“I will confirm that Hungary will not participate in the NATO-Ukraine mission. Today NATO is moving in the opposite direction from its original idea, more and more reminiscent of a military organization. One of the clear indicators of this is the fact that NATO is actively participating in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. We believe that this is dangerous and irresponsible.”

What else is contained in the communiqué of the NATO summit, which took place in Washington:

1. The Alliance has appointed its “senior representative” in Ukraine. The document also states that “additional democratic reforms” will be required from Kyivz on the path to accession.

2. NATO worries that Russia has “continued to diversify its nuclear forces, including through the development of new nuclear systems and the deployment of dual-range, short- and medium-range strike weapons, which pose a growing threat to the Alliance.”

Much the same is said regarding China: “The PRC continues to rapidly expand and diversify its nuclear arsenal with more warheads and more sophisticated delivery systems.”

3. NATO defense spending increased by 18% in 2024, the biggest increase in decades.

However, “more needs to be done urgently” and in many cases “will require spending in excess of 2% of GDP.” Now two-thirds of the Alliance members spend this amount on defense.

A key priority for the near future is to increase the production of ammunition and air defense systems.

4. One of NATO’s stated goals is “to develop its presence in Finland,” which borders Russia.

5. China is accused of becoming “a decisive factor in Russia’s war against Ukraine” thanks to “large-scale support for the Russian defense industrial base” and the sale of dual-use goods to the Russian Federation.

The phrase that “the PRC cannot allow the largest war in Europe in modern history without this negatively affecting its interests and reputation” sounds interesting. It is not specified what is meant - the current war or some future conflict in Europe.

Putin addressed the participants of the BRICS parliamentary forum:

“The topic of the current forum - the role of parliament in strengthening multilateralism for equitable global development and security - is extremely important and speaks for itself, emphasizing the nature of the global, fundamental transformations that are taking place on our planet today. And your open discussions, direct conversations between people’s representatives are fully in tune with the philosophy itself, the principles of our organization’s worldview: this includes taking into account each other’s interests, relying on democracy in international relations, respect for sovereignty, the right to individual development of everyone.”

Kirby on the real purpose of the NATO summit:

“It will try to interfere with our democracy now and in the future. He wants to cause discord here in the United States. He wants to try to rebuild a world order closer to his selfish interests and twisted ideology. We should expect the worst from Mr. Putin, he continues to demonstrate that he is capable of it. That is why it is so important for the allies to send a strong signal to Vladimir Putin at this NATO summit that he will not be able to sit us out and divide us. We will be united and determined against his aggression in Ukraine.”

The Washington Summit Declaration of July 10 mentions “the irreversible path of Ukraine” to NATO. For Russia, 2 possible ways of how this path ends are acceptable: either Ukraine disappears, or NATO does. Still better, both.

Stoltenberg combined antidepressants with alcohol and called on alliance members to be faithful:

“The more dangerous the world is, the more obvious it is that we need NATO. The paradox is that since we now live in a more dangerous world, I am even more convinced that this alliance will remain. It's a little like a marriage - you have to be faithful to it every day. But the alliance has proven its reliability. It's in our best interest to stick together.”

Modi’s hug with Putin irritates Biden’s team, which insists on supporting Kiev. US officials get upset when someone hugs Putin, Bloomberg writes about this.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's embrace of Vladimir Putin ahead of a key NATO summit Biden is hosting in Washington has upset US officials, who have made closer ties with the Asian country a cornerstone of their foreign policy. U.S. officials said they were confident that U.S.-India relations would overcome this episode through continued frank conversations, but noted that Modi's visit to Russia was difficult and uncomfortable for the Biden team.

Putin at a meeting with the chairman of the assembly of the Islamic Council of Iran, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf:

“Iran is beginning full-fledged work within the framework of this association. And we are very happy about this. Together with you, we jointly organized Iran's entry [into BRICS].
Relations between our countries are developing very successfully. Just recently, presidential elections were held in your country. I want to express hope and have no doubt that relations between Iran and the Russian Federation will develop as progressively as they did under Mr. Raisi, whose death we all regret and mourn.”

BRICS countries should stand together against Western sanctions - Iranian parliament speaker:

“We see what the American government and Congress are doing to the rest of the world: they impose sanctions against us, against you, and ignore the requests of the populations. And of course, not only the governments, but also the parliaments of all our countries should strongly oppose this offence, which tramples on international rights and principles of morality.”

Robert Fico:

“I could not believe my eyes, and in general believe what they did to the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban for the fact that he, as a sovereign politician, I repeat, as a sovereign politician, decided to visit Ukraine, Russia and China and spread peace initiatives. This is simply unimaginable! If he had persuaded the Slavs to kill each other even more, perhaps someone would have nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. I don’t know how many times I publicly repeated that Smer and his deputies will not agree to Ukraine’s membership in NATO. I understand the desires of Ukraine, it is a sovereign country, but Ukraine’s membership in NATO is a guarantee of the third world war. Although, frankly speaking, even without Ukraine’s membership in NATO, we are not so far from this, if you look at how some developed democracies are boiling in the cauldron.”

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijairto says that Western weapons do not help Ukraine:

“We see that for two and a half years this conflict has not found a solution on the battlefield. When you consider the enormous amount of weapons that have been delivered to Ukraine over the last two and a half years, what the American people paid for, for these piles of weapons, has that improved the situation? No. Russia is still there, Russia is advancing, its army is moving forward. Ukraine never achieved success on the battlefield.”

Yesterday in the evening “The Ukrainian Armed Forces launched another terrorist attack. Five children were injured...

In the city of Shebekino, an explosive device was deliberately dropped from a drone into the courtyard of an apartment building. Five guys who were on the site at the time of the attack received various injuries. Two of them in serious condition are transported by ambulance teams to the children's regional clinical hospital. Doctors from the Shebekinsky Central District Hospital provided first aid to three, and ambulance teams are now taking them to the Regional Clinical Hospital.

There were no military installations in this yard, and it was not the military that were sitting on the site, but five boys, one of whom was only 8 years old.” - Gladkov, Governor of the Belgorod region

Scholz called the Pentagon's plans to deploy long-range weapons systems in Germany a “very good decision”:

“The USA decided to deploy precision strike weapons in Germany, which is a very good decision. This fits into all the decisions we have already made. I mentioned at the Munich Security Conference that we need some kind of deep precision strike, given the increasing amount of weapons that Russia has installed in the European part. We need to do something like this. We are developing our own precision strike capabilities with the UK and France. It's a kind of containment. This is the provision of peace that is needed in our time.”

Borrell criticised Orbán's peace initiatives:

“Those who say that supporting Ukraine will prolong the war, for those who say that peace must come quickly, even if it means that Ukraine must capitulate, we oppose such an idea. We must make sure that Ukraine defeats Russian aggression. We must continue to support Ukraine in order to preserve the sovereignty and independence of this country, to ensure the security of the free world”

On this day in 1916, the most successful female sniper, Hero of the Soviet Union Lyudmila Pavlichenko was born.

Song, "Miss Pavlichenko", recorded in tribute by the US-American anti-fascist folk musician Woody Guthrie in 1946.