Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses a crowd at Lukiskiu Square in Vilnius on July 11, 2023 [Petras Malukas/AFP]
Metropolis Desk-
NATO leaders concurred on Tuesday that the alliance is where Ukraine’s future belongs, but they refrained from extending Kyiv the invitation or timeline for membership that it had requested—a stance that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had earlier criticized as “absurd.”
The world leaders got together for a summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, as the Ukrainian counteroffensive against the Russian invading forces occupying some of the nations was moving more slowly than Kyiv had intended.
A barrier to Kyiv’s entry into the alliance was effectively removed when NATO announced that it would no longer require Ukraine to complete a “Membership Action Plan” (MAP). “Ukraine’s future is in NATO,” the declaration said. “We will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance when allies agree and conditions are met.”
They stated the alliance would support Kyiv in moving forward with additional democratic and security sector reforms as well as with military interoperability, but they did not identify the requirements Ukraine needs to satisfy.
Zelenskiy had earlier criticized NATO officials for failing to provide a timeline for membership.
Before he arrived as a special guest, Zelenskiy remarked, “It is unprecedented and absurd when a timeframe is not set, neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine’s membership.” Zelenskiy’s opening volley at a summit came after NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated the organization will convey a “positive message” to Kyiv regarding its route toward membership.
It exposed the disagreements among the 31 countries of NATO on a clear invitation to Ukraine to join or a date for membership. Even before Russia began its invasion in February 2022, Kyiv had been advocating for a quick entry that was secured by security guarantees.
According to the statement, “We reaffirm our unwavering solidarity with the government and people of Ukraine in the valiant defense of their nation, their land, and our shared values.”
It used stern language toward Moscow, stating that “the Russian Federation is the most significant and direct threat to Allies’ security and peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area.”
Zelenskiy criticized NATO, and Stoltenberg responded at a news conference: “There has never been a stronger message from NATO at any time, both when it comes to the political message of the path forward for membership and the concrete support from NATO allies.”
He claimed that prior NATO memberships had not been backed by a deadline. They have always been condition-based, he noted.
Zelenskiy had success in other places. Following a similar declaration by Britain, French President Emmanuel Macron indicated Paris will begin delivering long-range cruise missiles.
The missiles’ 250 km (155 miles) range roughly triples Ukraine’s existing arsenal, enabling its forces to strike Russian forces and supplies far from the front lines.
According to a French military source, Russia was utilizing cruise missiles launched from thousands of kilometers away, thus the use of missiles was proportionate and there was no need to worry about an escalation.
Germany also pledged additional assistance of 700 million euros, which included two Patriot air defense missile systems as well as additional tanks and combat vehicles.
The possibility of Sweden becoming NATO’s newest member helped the summit gain momentum after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan abruptly dropped his opposition to the move on Monday while attempting to restart negotiations for Turkey to join the EU.
After joining the alliance itself in April, Finland participated in the summit for the first time as a member.
While NATO countries concur that Kyiv cannot join while the war is in progress, they disagree about the circumstances under which it might happen thereafter.
NATO allies in eastern Europe have supported Kyiv’s position, claiming that putting Ukraine within NATO’s umbrella of collective security is the best way to discourage Russia from launching another attack.
States like the United States and Germany have been more circumspect, leery of any move that they think could push NATO into a direct conflict with Russia.
To thwart Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attempts to splinter NATO, US President Joe Biden has emphasized the need of maintaining its unity.
Continuing, Biden added, “I still believe that President Putin believes that the way he succeeds is to break NATO and we’re not going to do that.
Moscow, which has attributed its decision to invade Ukraine to NATO’s eastern expansion, has criticized the two-day summit that ends on Wednesday and vowed that Europe will be the first to suffer “catastrophic consequences” if the conflict worsens.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, stated that the topic of Ukraine joining NATO “potentially” poses a serious threat to European security. As a result, he added, “Those who will make the decision must be aware of this.”
He claimed that European policymakers did not appear to comprehend the error of placing NATO military infrastructure close to Russia’s borders.
Source- Al Jazeera
