NATO denies any roadmap for Ukraine's membership

Vilnius, Jul 12: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hit out the 31-member NATO alliance after the members said they would allow Ukraine to join the alliance “when allies agree and conditions are met". Following this statement, Zelenskyy blasted the organization’s failure to set a timetable for his country as “absurd."

 

 

 

Although many NATO members have funneled arms and ammunition to Zelenskyy’s forces, there is no consensus among the 31 allies for admitting Ukraine into NATO’s ranks. Zelenskyy pushed back sharply against the decision as he headed to the annual NATO summit in Vilnius. “It’s unprecedented and absurd when a time frame is set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine’s membership," Zelenskyy tweeted. “At the same time, vague wording about ‘conditions’ is added even for inviting Ukraine. It seems there is no readiness to invite Ukraine to NATO or to make it a member of the Alliance."

 

 

 

NATO membership would afford Ukraine protection against a giant neighbor that annexed its Crimean Peninsula almost a decade ago and more recently seized vast swaths of land in the east and south. Joining NATO would also oblige Kyiv to reform its security institutions, improve governance and curb corruption — work that would also ease the country's path into the European Union. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the most important thing now is to ensure that his country wins the war, because “unless Ukraine prevails there is no membership to be discussed at all." The broadside from Zelenskyy could renew tensions at the summit shortly after it saw a burst of goodwill following an agreement by Turkey to advance Sweden's bid to join NATO. The Ukrainian president, who was to meet Wednesday with US President Joe Biden and other NATO leaders, expressed deep frustration in an emotional speech in downtown Vilnius. “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, that does not waste time and does not look over their backs at any aggressor," Zelenskyy said. “I would like this faith to become confidence, confidence in the decisions that we deserve, all of us — every soldier, every citizen, every mother, every child," he said. “Is that too much to ask?" Sharp divisions have emerged within the alliance over Ukraine's desire to join NATO. In addition, the Baltic states — including Lithuania, which is hosting the summit — have pushed for a strong show of support and a clear pathway toward membership for Ukraine. However, the United States and Germany urged caution. Biden said last week that Ukraine was not ready to join. Biden told in a TV interview, Ukraine needs to "meet all the qualifications, from democratization to a whole range of other issues"--A nod toward longstanding concerns about governance and corruption in Kyiv.

 

Also Read: Ukraine will be a part of NATO soon: Zelensky 

 

In addition, some fear that bringing Ukraine into NATO would serve more as a provocation to Russia than as a deterrence against aggression. On Wednesday, the leaders and Zelenskyy are set to launch a new, upgraded forum for their cooperation: a NATO-Ukraine Council, where all parties can convene crisis talks if their security is threatened. To fast-track its future membership, the leaders agreed to do away with a membership action plan for Ukraine, a program often seen as mandatory for aspiring nations to undertake. Known in NATO parlance as a MAP, the action plan involves a tailor-made package of advice, assistance, and practical support for countries preparing to join NATO. Bosnia, for example, is currently taking part in one.