Politics | Jul 15th 2023 Edition

NATO held a summit in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, which was dominated by Ukraine’s ambition to join the alliance. Amid resistance from some members, notably America and Germany, to give a firm timetable, NATO issued a pledge that Ukraine will join, but only when “allies agree and conditions are met”. It was, however, promised as an accelerated process. More important was a pledge by the G7 that its members will each offer Ukraine enduring commitments to provide it with the weapons it needs to defend itself from Russia during and after the war, as well as help with rebuilding its economy.