- NATO said Ukraine can join but only when all allies agree and certain conditions are met.
- Zelensky criticized delay in Ukraine’s accession to NATO, calling it “absurd.”
- NATO recognized the need to move faster on Ukraine’s membership.
NATO has said that Ukraine can join the military alliance, but only when all allies agree and certain conditions are met. This comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the delay in Ukraine’s accession to NATO, calling it “absurd.”
In a statement, NATO said it recognized the need to move faster on Ukraine’s membership, but would not provide a specific timeframe. Zelensky, who is currently in Vilnius, Lithuania for a summit, said that it seemed there was “no readiness” to invite Ukraine to NATO or make it a member.
The statement from NATO is a sign that the alliance is willing to consider Ukraine’s membership, but it also highlights the challenges that Ukraine faces in joining. These challenges include the ongoing conflict with Russia, as well as the need for Ukraine to meet certain political and economic criteria.
It remains to be seen whether Ukraine will be able to join NATO in the near future. However, the statement from NATO is a positive step for Ukraine and shows that the alliance is willing to consider its membership
Ukraine cannot join NATO while it is at war with Russia, but it wants to join as soon as possible after the fighting ends.
NATO has reaffirmed that Ukraine will become a member, but it has not set a timeframe for membership.
This means that Ukraine’s membership could become a bargaining chip in future negotiations with Russia.
“A window of opportunity is being left to bargain Ukraine’s membership in Nato in negotiations with Russia. Uncertainty is weakness,” he said.
NATO members are divided on whether Ukraine should be granted near-automatic membership. Some members fear that this would give Russia an incentive to escalate the war, while others believe that it would send a strong message to Russia that Ukraine will eventually become a member of NATO.
NATO said that Ukraine has made progress on reform and has become more integrated with the alliance, and that member states would support further reform. Mr Stoltenberg will meet Mr Zelensky at the inaugural meeting of the Nato-Ukraine Council on Wednesday.
