Ukraine to discuss practical support with NATO partnership

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is traveling
to Brussels to consult with NATO partners. The talks will center on what Kuleba
called ‘practical support’ if Russia ignores the warnings sent by Ukraine and
its partners. Eurointegration.com.ua reported that Kuleba made the announcement
while being interviewed on ICTV on April 12.

Kuleba claimed that all concerned were sending
“maximum verbal signals” to the Russians that armed escalation is “reckless”,
and in particular that France and Germany are sending these signals. However,
the partners need to discuss what happens if those messages go unheeded.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Anthony Blinken and NATO
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke on April 12 regarding Ukraine. Blinken
tweeted on April 13 that he had just arrived in Brussels “…as we look to
confront malign state actors…”. No meeting between Blinken and Kuleba had been
announced as of the time this report was written.

James Hydzik: Modern
Central and Eastern European history is punctuated with real and perceived
“betrayals” by western powers, and every side in this matter will have that in
mind. Shoring up “material support” in case the Russians escalate militarily is
also a part of the current war of words. However, coming to a solution that can
be counted upon by Ukraine and its NATO partners is vital. Large numbers of
troops can be ruled out. Sending military aid, up to the point of a no-fly
zone, would be expensive, but perhaps not ruled out. It is cheap compared to
the refugee flood that a large-scale assault would trigger.