© Reuters
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NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday rejected Russia’s insistence that the alliance abandon a 2008 Bucharest decision announcing that Ukraine and Georgia could one day become members. This came shortly after Russia’s foreign ministry issued a statement urging NATO and the United States, one of which is for Ukraine not to become a NATO country.
“NATO’s position on our relations with Ukraine remains unexplored. A fundamental principle is that each country has the right to choose its own path, including what kind of security agreement it wants to be from,” Stoltenberg was quoted as saying by Reuters. “.
“NATO-Ukraine relations will be decided by the 30 Allies and Ukraine, by no one else. We cannot accept Russia trying to rebuild a system in which great powers like it have spheres of influence and in which to control and they decide what the others do, “he added.
Finland, Russia’s neutral country, announced today that it has selected US giant Lockheed Martin to supply 64 of the world’s most advanced F-35 multi-role aircraft worth 8.4 billion euros ($ 9.4 billion).
The choice will boost co-operation with allies, especially the United States and Norway, Charlie Salonius-Pasternak of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs was quoted as saying by Reuters. In 2014, Finland and Sweden signed an agreement on joint exercises and to allow NATO assistance in crisis situations.
The F-35 will replace the current F / A-18 Hornet and the deal will include armaments, after-sales service and maintenance by 2030. The construction of hangars and other equipment will cost another 777 million euros. control over future adjustments to the contract are provided another and 824 million euros.
A suitable offer has been sought for the renewal of the Hornet combat aviation, purchased since 1992, since 2015. The first F-35s are expected to be in service in 2027, the production of the entire order will take 20 years, and their operation will continue. and in the 1970s.
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