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VILNIUS: NATO leaders said on Tuesday that they will allow Ukraine to join the alliance “when allies agree and conditions are met” — an announcement that came just hours after the president. Volodymyr Zelensky He criticized the organization’s failure to set a timetable for his country as “ridiculous”.
Instead, coalition leaders decided to remove obstacles to Ukraine’s membership so that it could join more quickly once the war with Russia ended.
“We have reaffirmed that Ukraine will become a member of NATO and have agreed to remove the requirement of the Membership Action Plan,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters, referring to a key step in the process that involves providing advice and assistance to countries seeking to join. .
“This will change Ukraine’s membership path from a two-step path to a one-step path,” Stoltenberg said.
Although many NATO members have funneled weapons and ammunition to Zelensky’s forces, there is no consensus among 31 Allies to accept Ukraine into NATO’s ranks.
Zelensky sharply reversed the decision as he headed to the annual NATO summit in Vilnius.
“It is unprecedented and absurd when a time frame is set for neither invitation nor Ukraine’s membership,” Zelensky wrote on Twitter. “While at the same time, vague wording about ‘conditions’ was added even to Ukraine’s invitation. There seems to be no willingness to invite Ukraine to join NATO or make it a member of the alliance.”
NATO membership would protect Ukraine against its giant neighbor, which annexed Crimea nearly a decade ago and recently seized large swathes of land in the east and south. Joining NATO would also commit Kiev to reforming its security institutions, improving governance and curbing corruption – an act that would also smooth the country’s path into the European Union.
Asked about Zelensky’s concerns, Stoltenberg said the most important thing now was to ensure his country won the war, because “unless Ukraine prevails, membership will not be discussed at all.”
Zelensky’s criticism could renew tensions at the summit shortly after a wave of goodwill erupted after Turkey’s agreement to advance Sweden’s bid to join NATO. The allies hope to resolve the swing negotiations and develop a clear plan for the alliance and its support for Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president, who was due to meet Wednesday with US President Joe Biden and other NATO leaders, expressed his deep frustration in an emotional speech in downtown Vilnius.
Zelensky said, “Today I started my journey with faith in solutions, with faith in strong partners, with faith in NATO… in a NATO that does not hesitate, does not waste time and does not look at any aggressor.”
He said, “I would like that faith to become a trust, a trust in the decisions we deserve, every one of us — every soldier, every citizen, every mother, every child.” “Is that asking too much?”
Sharp divisions emerged within the alliance over Ukraine’s desire to join NATO, which it promised again in 2008 despite taking few steps toward that goal.
In addition, the Baltic states — including Lithuania, which is hosting the summit — have pushed for a strong show of support and a clear path toward Ukraine’s membership.
However, the United States and Germany urged caution. Last week, Biden said Ukraine was not ready to join. He told CNN that NATO members need to “meet all the qualifications, from democratization to a whole host of other issues,” referring to longstanding concerns about governance and corruption in Kiev.
In addition, some fear that Ukraine’s accession to NATO will act more as a provocation for Russia than as a deterrent to aggression.
Concretely, NATO leaders decided to launch a series of multi-year programs to bring Ukraine’s Soviet-era military equipment and doctrines to modern standards so that the country could work more fully with the Alliance.
On Wednesday, the leaders and Zelensky are set to launch a new, upgraded forum for their cooperation: the Ukrainian NATO Council, where all sides can hold crisis talks if their security is threatened.
To speed up its future membership trajectory, the leaders agreed to do away with Ukraine’s Membership Action Plan, a program often seen as mandatory for aspiring nations to undertake.
Known in NATO parlance as MAP, the Action Plan includes a tailor-made package of advice, assistance and practical support for countries preparing to join NATO. Bosnia, for example, is currently participating in one.
Under pressure from reporters to say what kind of conditions are being placed on Ukraine’s accession, Stoltenberg said: “We want modern defense and security institutions.”
The row over Ukraine contrasts with a hard-won agreement to boost Sweden’s membership. Reached after days of intense meetings, the deal prepares to expand the alliance’s power into northern Europe.
“Rumors about the death of the NATO unit are greatly exaggerated,” White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan triumphantly told reporters on Tuesday.
According to a joint statement released when the deal was announced, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will ask the Turkish parliament to approve Sweden’s accession to NATO.
Another holdout, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is expected to take a similar step. Hungary’s foreign minister said on Tuesday that his country’s ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership is now just a “technical matter”. Erdogan has not yet commented publicly.
The result is also a victory for Biden, who has touted NATO expansion as an example of how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has backfired on Moscow.
Finland is already the 31st member of the alliance, and Sweden is on deck to become the 32nd. Both Scandinavian countries were historically impartial until the war heightened fears of Russian aggression.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that NATO’s expansion is “one of the reasons for the current situation.”
“The Europeans don’t seem to understand their mistake,” said Peskov, who warned against putting Ukraine on the fast track to NATO membership.
It could be very dangerous for European security. “It’s very risky,” Peskov said.
Erdogan met with Biden on Tuesday night, but has remained silent about the deal to boost Sweden’s NATO membership.
Although Biden referred to “the agreement I reached yesterday,” Erdogan said nothing about it. This was an apparent omission on the part of Erdogan, who did not comment on the issue publicly during the summit.
However, Erdogan seemed eager to develop his relationship with Biden. Previous meetings, he said, had been “just warm-ups, but now we’re starting a new process.”
The Turkish president was looking for advanced US fighter jets and a path toward membership in the European Union. The White House has expressed support for both, but has publicly insisted that the issues are not related to Sweden’s NATO membership.
The Biden administration has supported Turkey’s desire to purchase 40 new F-16s plus upgrade kits from the United States
Biden is on a five-day trip to Europe, led by a NATO summit.
After the summit ends Wednesday, he will head to Helsinki. And on Thursday, he will celebrate Finland’s recent entry into NATO and meet Nordic leaders.
Instead, coalition leaders decided to remove obstacles to Ukraine’s membership so that it could join more quickly once the war with Russia ended.
“We have reaffirmed that Ukraine will become a member of NATO and have agreed to remove the requirement of the Membership Action Plan,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters, referring to a key step in the process that involves providing advice and assistance to countries seeking to join. .
“This will change Ukraine’s membership path from a two-step path to a one-step path,” Stoltenberg said.
Although many NATO members have funneled weapons and ammunition to Zelensky’s forces, there is no consensus among 31 Allies to accept Ukraine into NATO’s ranks.
Zelensky sharply reversed the decision as he headed to the annual NATO summit in Vilnius.
“It is unprecedented and absurd when a time frame is set for neither invitation nor Ukraine’s membership,” Zelensky wrote on Twitter. “While at the same time, vague wording about ‘conditions’ was added even to Ukraine’s invitation. There seems to be no willingness to invite Ukraine to join NATO or make it a member of the alliance.”
NATO membership would protect Ukraine against its giant neighbor, which annexed Crimea nearly a decade ago and recently seized large swathes of land in the east and south. Joining NATO would also commit Kiev to reforming its security institutions, improving governance and curbing corruption – an act that would also smooth the country’s path into the European Union.
Asked about Zelensky’s concerns, Stoltenberg said the most important thing now was to ensure his country won the war, because “unless Ukraine prevails, membership will not be discussed at all.”
Zelensky’s criticism could renew tensions at the summit shortly after a wave of goodwill erupted after Turkey’s agreement to advance Sweden’s bid to join NATO. The allies hope to resolve the swing negotiations and develop a clear plan for the alliance and its support for Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president, who was due to meet Wednesday with US President Joe Biden and other NATO leaders, expressed his deep frustration in an emotional speech in downtown Vilnius.
Zelensky said, “Today I started my journey with faith in solutions, with faith in strong partners, with faith in NATO… in a NATO that does not hesitate, does not waste time and does not look at any aggressor.”
He said, “I would like that faith to become a trust, a trust in the decisions we deserve, every one of us — every soldier, every citizen, every mother, every child.” “Is that asking too much?”
Sharp divisions emerged within the alliance over Ukraine’s desire to join NATO, which it promised again in 2008 despite taking few steps toward that goal.
In addition, the Baltic states — including Lithuania, which is hosting the summit — have pushed for a strong show of support and a clear path toward Ukraine’s membership.
However, the United States and Germany urged caution. Last week, Biden said Ukraine was not ready to join. He told CNN that NATO members need to “meet all the qualifications, from democratization to a whole host of other issues,” referring to longstanding concerns about governance and corruption in Kiev.
In addition, some fear that Ukraine’s accession to NATO will act more as a provocation for Russia than as a deterrent to aggression.
Concretely, NATO leaders decided to launch a series of multi-year programs to bring Ukraine’s Soviet-era military equipment and doctrines to modern standards so that the country could work more fully with the Alliance.
On Wednesday, the leaders and Zelensky are set to launch a new, upgraded forum for their cooperation: the Ukrainian NATO Council, where all sides can hold crisis talks if their security is threatened.
To speed up its future membership trajectory, the leaders agreed to do away with Ukraine’s Membership Action Plan, a program often seen as mandatory for aspiring nations to undertake.
Known in NATO parlance as MAP, the Action Plan includes a tailor-made package of advice, assistance and practical support for countries preparing to join NATO. Bosnia, for example, is currently participating in one.
Under pressure from reporters to say what kind of conditions are being placed on Ukraine’s accession, Stoltenberg said: “We want modern defense and security institutions.”
The row over Ukraine contrasts with a hard-won agreement to boost Sweden’s membership. Reached after days of intense meetings, the deal prepares to expand the alliance’s power into northern Europe.
“Rumors about the death of the NATO unit are greatly exaggerated,” White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan triumphantly told reporters on Tuesday.
According to a joint statement released when the deal was announced, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will ask the Turkish parliament to approve Sweden’s accession to NATO.
Another holdout, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is expected to take a similar step. Hungary’s foreign minister said on Tuesday that his country’s ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership is now just a “technical matter”. Erdogan has not yet commented publicly.
The result is also a victory for Biden, who has touted NATO expansion as an example of how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has backfired on Moscow.
Finland is already the 31st member of the alliance, and Sweden is on deck to become the 32nd. Both Scandinavian countries were historically impartial until the war heightened fears of Russian aggression.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that NATO’s expansion is “one of the reasons for the current situation.”
“The Europeans don’t seem to understand their mistake,” said Peskov, who warned against putting Ukraine on the fast track to NATO membership.
It could be very dangerous for European security. “It’s very risky,” Peskov said.
Erdogan met with Biden on Tuesday night, but has remained silent about the deal to boost Sweden’s NATO membership.
Although Biden referred to “the agreement I reached yesterday,” Erdogan said nothing about it. This was an apparent omission on the part of Erdogan, who did not comment on the issue publicly during the summit.
However, Erdogan seemed eager to develop his relationship with Biden. Previous meetings, he said, had been “just warm-ups, but now we’re starting a new process.”
The Turkish president was looking for advanced US fighter jets and a path toward membership in the European Union. The White House has expressed support for both, but has publicly insisted that the issues are not related to Sweden’s NATO membership.
The Biden administration has supported Turkey’s desire to purchase 40 new F-16s plus upgrade kits from the United States
Biden is on a five-day trip to Europe, led by a NATO summit.
After the summit ends Wednesday, he will head to Helsinki. And on Thursday, he will celebrate Finland’s recent entry into NATO and meet Nordic leaders.
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