US super-carrier arrives in Norway for drills, Ukraine can't enter NATO right away

Washington [US], May 25:The world's largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford has arrived in Norway for the first time to participate in exercises.
Reuters reported that the world's largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford of the United States entered the waters near the Norwegian capital Oslo for the first time on May 24 in a show of NATO forces at a time of heightened tensions between the bloc . and Russia.
The Norwegian military said the USS Gerald R. Ford and its crew will conduct exercises with the Norwegian armed forces along the country's coast in the coming days.
"This visit is an important signal of the close bilateral relationship between the United States and Norway, and demonstrates the credibility of our collective deterrence and defense capabilities," ministry spokeswoman Jonny Karlsen said. Norwegian joint commander said.
In Oslo Bay, dozens of Norwegians of all ages gathered on the shore to observe, take photos and video as the USS Gerald R. Ford passed by.
Norwegian media reported that the US aircraft carrier will go north of the Arctic Circle. However, Mr. Karlsen declined to comment on these reports.
The Russian Embassy in Oslo condemned the visit to Norway by the USS Gerald R. Ford.
"In the Arctic there are no problems that require a military solution, nor are there any topics that require outside intervention," the Russian embassy wrote in a Facebook post.
"Oslo has acknowledged that Russia poses no direct military threat to Norway. Therefore, these demonstrations of power are irrational and potentially harmful," according to the post.
Norway, a NATO member , shares a border with Russia near the Arctic. Last year, Norway became Europe's largest gas supplier after Russia's gas supply dwindled.
The Norwegian military and its NATO allies have been patrolling around offshore oil and gas rigs since the fall, following explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea.
On the same day, May 24, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine will not be able to join the alliance until the conflict with Russia is not over.
"It is not possible to be a NATO member in the midst of a conflict," Stoltenberg said at an event organized by the Marshall Fund of the United States in Brussels. "The issue is what happens when the conflict ends," Stoltenberg added.
In September 2022, Ukrainian President VolodymyrZelensky announced an effort to accelerate the process of becoming a NATO member .
NATO allies did not agree to Mr. Zelensky's request. The West remains wary of moves that it fears could bring NATO closer to a conflict with Russia.
However, at the NATO summit in Vilnius (Lithuania) in July 2022, both Ukraine and some of Kyiv's closest allies in Eastern Europe pushed NATO to take concrete steps to bring Ukraine closer to Ukraine. membership of the union.
Source: ThanhNien Newspaper