White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has stated that allowing Ukraine to join NATO at this time would lead to a war with Russia. However, he also mentioned that a reform path for Ukraine to become a NATO member will be developed, although he did not provide a specific timetable for this process. Sullivan made these comments during the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.
During the summit, Sullivan emphasized that the focus of the talks between US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky would be on how the US and its partners can make long-term commitments to assist Ukraine in defending itself and deterring future aggression. Biden had previously stated in an interview with CNN that it was premature to discuss NATO membership for Ukraine, emphasizing the need for the country to carry out further reforms and achieve democratization before joining the alliance.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also addressed the issue of Ukraine’s membership during the summit. He announced that a clear roadmap for Ukraine to join the alliance would not be provided, but members could remove the requirement for a Membership Action Plan (MAP). This change would theoretically speed up Ukraine’s accession process. However, Ukrainian President Zelensky expressed frustration with this decision, noting that there was no timeline for an invitation or for Ukraine’s membership in the final statement of the summit.
The Ukrainian leader described the situation as absurd and criticized NATO’s indecisiveness as a sign of weakness on the part of the alliance. These comments attracted attention from NATO, with an unnamed senior diplomat from Central Europe expressing the view that Zelensky had gone too far and that his approach was not thoughtful or fair.
According to a person familiar with the draft of the NATO statement, the language in the communique sent a strong signal to Ukraine that it was almost final and that Zelensky’s government would have to accept it. This indicates that NATO is not inclined to make any major changes or commitments regarding Ukraine’s membership at this time.
The issue of Ukraine’s potential NATO membership has been a major point of contention between Russia and the alliance. Moscow considers NATO’s eastward expansion as a hostile act and points to Ukraine’s desire to join the alliance as one of the main reasons behind its military operation against Ukraine in 2022.
In conclusion, while the US and NATO acknowledge Ukraine’s aspirations to join the alliance, it is clear that there are significant challenges and complexities involved. The focus currently remains on supporting Ukraine’s defense and deterring aggression, while discussions about a potential reform path and eventual NATO membership for Ukraine continue.
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