The United States, Germany, the Netherlands and other countries reject this approach. They insist that Ukraine must undertake other reforms of its political, financial and judicial systems to qualify for membership. What matters now, they say, is practical help in the medium term: pledging to support Ukraine militarily and financially through the US presidential election and beyond.
Last month Biden said there will be no « short cuts » for Ukraine’s entry into NATO, even after the war.
It may seem like simply a discussion of sharpening diplomatic language, but for this summit to be successful, it must demonstrate transatlantic unity in supporting Kiev’s efforts to expel Russian forces and deter a new invasion if some kind of cease-and-desist is negotiated. fire . Mr. Putin is looking for cracks and Mr. Zelensky needs something encouraging to take home in the midst of a long war and a heavy and heavy counter-offensive.
Amanda Sloat, Senior Director for Europe at the National Security Council, said friday that Mr. Biden will work with Ukraine to prepare them for NATO, but “he said Ukraine should make reforms to meet the same standards as any other NATO country before joining. So there are standards that the alliance sets for all members, and the president made clear that Ukraine would need to make those reforms. »
Regardless of how the wording is crafted, NATO officials say another key element of the summit will be a show of practical support for Ukraine. Putin, several NATO leaders have said, believes Europe’s engagement will cease and that, combined with an advantage in munitions, would ultimately lead to Ukraine’s defeat.
So the next couple of days will be filled with pledges, organized under a blanket pledge issued by a few countries – perhaps the Group of 7, or a smaller group known as the Quad (US, Britain, Germany and France) – to which others countries will sign up, diplomats from NATO countries said. The hope is to issue such a document with commitments in Vilnius.
The document is intended to provide Ukraine with serious long-term security commitments, even if it falls short of the security guarantee of full NATO membership. This means providing modern weapons and training that would ensure that Ukraine is so well armed that Russia will never attempt to invade in the future.
