NATO members gathered in Vilnius, Lithuania for a high-stakes summit on July 11-12, where they expressed their support for Ukraine’s future membership in the alliance. However, they stopped short of providing a clear timeline for when this might happen.
The Vilnius Summit Communique, a statement issued by the member countries, stated that “Ukraine’s future is in NATO.” The allies also reaffirmed a commitment made at the 2008 Bucharest Summit, acknowledging that Ukraine had made significant progress on its reform path.
Notably, NATO removed the requirement for Ukraine to implement a “Membership Action Plan” and instead introduced an “Annual National Program” to review progress regularly. The alliance also pledged to assist Ukraine in implementing democratic and security reforms necessary for its eventual membership.
Despite these assurances, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed disappointment with the decision. On Twitter, he criticized the lack of a specific timeline for Ukraine’s invitation to join NATO and described the vague conditions attached to it as “unprecedented and absurd.” Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine deserved respect and criticized the fact that the communique had been discussed without Ukraine’s involvement.
Before attending the summit, US President Joe Biden spoke to CNN about the situation in Ukraine. Biden emphasized that the war with Russia needed to end before NATO could admit Ukraine. He explained that there was not unanimous agreement within NATO about Ukraine’s immediate membership, especially in the midst of ongoing conflict.
Biden also emphasized the need for a “rational path” for Ukraine to qualify for NATO membership. He suggested that the United States and its allies would provide various forms of military assistance, intelligence sharing, and cyber support to help Ukraine defend itself and deter future aggression.
The White House further indicated that Ukraine could receive “Israel-style” security guarantees in its fight against Russia. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated that the US would provide military assistance, intelligence, and cyber support to Ukraine.
President Biden is expected to meet with President Zelensky on the sidelines of the summit to discuss these issues further.
In conclusion, while NATO members expressed support for Ukraine’s future membership, they did not provide a clear timeline for when this might happen. The alliance emphasized the need for further reforms and conditions to be met before extending an invitation to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Zelensky expressed disappointment with the decision and called for a specific timeline. Meanwhile, President Biden highlighted the necessity of ending the war in Ukraine and presented the idea of providing military assistance and security guarantees to Ukraine. The issue of Ukraine’s NATO membership will continue to be discussed and evaluated in the coming days.
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