“Ukraine is ready to join NATO” Volodymyr Zelensky once again asked for a privileged access route for his country for the Atlantic Alliance. He did so the day his members met in Oslo, Norway for an informal meeting where the topic was among the main topics at the table. The country already received a vague membership commitment in 2018, but no concrete steps have been taken since then, and now the president of Ukraine is seeking approval and approval of a roadmap at the summit scheduled for July 11 and 12 in Vilnius, Lithuania. .
“Just as security guarantees are needed on the way to membership, this occasion will require an open invitation for Ukraine to join the Alliance,” said Zelensky, who attended the European Union Political Community Summit in Moldova today, sought by Emmanuel Macron. The summit, attended by 27 EU member states and 20 other European countries, was held in a fortress just 20 kilometers from Ukrainian territory and close to Moldova’s Russian-backed separatist region, Transnistria.
But while Eastern European countries strongly support Ukraine’s accession, there are many among NATO members, particularly Germany and the United States, who fear it would not be appropriate to talk about it at this time. “NATO’s open-door policy remains in force, but it is also clear that we cannot talk about accepting new members who are in the midst of war,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in Oslo. “NATO is about to turn 75, and no country in the armed conflict has joined it, because it could trigger Article 5 on the very day of entry, and in the case of Ukraine, that would mean a war between NATO and Russia,” repeated Luxembourg minister Jean Asselborn.
But there still seems to be no consensus on what to do when the war is over. “There will probably not be a date or timetable for accession in Vilnius, because there is much to be decided. It is a path with stages and progress,” said French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna. Even Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg didn’t want to go too far. “No one can tell you exactly what the final decision on this issue will be at the Vilnius summit.” “When the war is over, we will need to make sure we have a framework that will ensure that there is no pause in Russia’s actions against Ukraine,” said the 64-year-old Norwegian, whose mandate expires in September. “Stop the vicious cycle of aggression against the country, but the details of how to do that need to be decided,” he agreed.
There are several concessions on the Allied table at the moment. The ideas put forward to meet Kiev’s aspirations are very different from issuing a written statement about joining a new aid package that would help the country’s forces abandon Soviet-era doctrine, equipment and standards and be fully compliant with NATO defense standards. The United States appears determined to move in the second direction. “All allies support the Bucharest Declaration, in which Kiev assured that it will one day become a member in 2008,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, adding that “the attention will be doubled: to guarantee immediate assistance to Kiev”. The counterattack thus reclaims more occupied territories, but also helps Ukraine develop its medium and long-term defense capabilities to defend itself against future attacks”.
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Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
