Whenever the war ends, Ukraine is still going to share borders with Russia: Kirby

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Thursday that the upcoming NATO Summit will focus on long-term defense needs for Ukraine and ensure that the Allies have a common picture on the specifics of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“The security situation on the continent is radically different than it was a year and a half ago and the Allies will have a discussion about bolstering NATO's eastern flank,” he said in an interview with Al Arabiya.

Kirby also talked about geopolitical issues pertaining to Israel-Palestine, Sudan, and Iran.

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Ukraine’s NATO membership

“We are going to stick with Ukraine and we are going to continue to do what we can to help them defend themselves,” Kirby said. He also said the US expects the Allies to focus on security commitments needed to be made to help Ukraine in the long-run, but exactly what those commitments will look like was up to the Allies to discuss at the NATO Summit.

Clarifying the importance of long-term defense strategies for Ukraine, he added that whenever and however the war ends, “Ukraine is still going to have a long border with Russia, [and] they are still going to have legitimate defense requirements.”

Iran’s provocation

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized a commercial vessel that was potentially smuggling unidentified items in international waters near the Gulf, the US Navy said on Thursday.

Kirby said Iran’s attack on maritime shipping is not new behaviour. He said the US will continue to have a robust security presence in and around the Gulf. “We are not going to shy away from looking at other ways to pressure the Iranian regime,” he added.

Sudan clashes

Multiple ceasefire deals have failed to stick in Sudan, where violent clashes have erupted since April, including several brokered by Saudi Arabia and the United States at talks in Jeddah.

Kirby said American diplomats are hard at work to help reach a solution with the warring factions in Sudan. “We are going to continue to engage the parties to abide by the commitments they claim they want to make in terms of ceasefire and allowing humanitarian assistance to get in,” he said.

Israel-Palestine

As West Bank was plunged in renewed violence this week, Kirby said that the US was in routine dialogue with Israel. He said, “We believe, and the President [Biden] believes that a two-state solution is still viable.” He added that it would require leadership on both sides to de-escalate tensions and condemn the violence.

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