The Ukrainian defence minister has raised the stakes ahead of the next Nato summit, saying he expects a guarantee that his country will be invited to join the military alliance at the end of the war with Russia, describing membership as non-negotiable.
Before the 33rd meeting of the alliance, Oleksii Reznikov said Kyiv acknowledged that membership to Nato was not possible while the conflict continued but insisted hard pledges for the future would need to be made.
The Ukrainian government is pushing hard for a bespoke route to join Nato, jettisoning the normal membership action plan Map that leaves membership at risk of a last-minute veto by any of the member states.
In 2008, Germany s then chancellor Angela Merkel vetoed Ukraine despite lobbying from the US government for an open-door policy for former Soviet republics.
Merkel said it was not the right time for the country to begin the process of joining NATO after the ongoing debate in Ukraine over membership and Russia's legitimate security concerns.
He said no such error should be repeated when 31 Nato members gather in Lithuania's capital on July 11 and that hard assurances should be granted.
On Tuesday, the heads of state and government of Nato member nations will have an opportunity to correct the Bucharest 2008 mistake and demonstrate responsible leadership, meeting our expectations, he said. This will show that Russia must end its dominance at its borders, and further aggression will only accelerate the collapse of the terrorist state.
We are'realists' and do not demand the impossible. We expect a guarantee of an invitation to join Nato after Ukraine's victory in the war, this is why our expectations from the summit of Vilnius Nato are very realistic. We are ready to sign the Accession Protocol immediately to begin the ratification and final Accession procedure. In both the US and Germany, concerns have been raised that granting early Nato membership to Ukraine could provoke Russia and could change the alliance's decision-making structure.
France's foreign minister, Catherine Colonna, did not sound effusive about departing the usual Map procedure, saying it might perhaps be unnecessary, although her British counterpart, James Cleverly, gave London's firm backing.
Finland became Nato's newest member on April 4th, and Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sweden are now candidate countries.
So far, Turkey and Hungary have blocked Sweden's membership, an example of the lack of confidence that any potential member can face when they go through the process of membership.
Reznikov said it would be in Nato's interests to fortify its eastern flank given that Russia would remain a threat for the foreseeable future, including to Hungary, whose prime minister, Viktor Orb n, has been criticised by Kyiv for pandering to Moscow.
The three key prerequisites for being a member of the Nato Alliance are interoperability with Nato forces, a transparent procurement system and civil control of the military. Ukraine has successfully implemented all three of these prerequisites.
In view of Russia's aggressive stance, which isn't going to change anytime soon, it is in Nato's interest to enhance and fortify its eastern flank. Today, Ukraine is already serving as a protective shield for Nato's eastern European members. If this shield is cracked, the next victims of Russian aggression would be the Baltic states, Poland, Hungary or Slovakia.
It is in Nato's best interest that Ukraine's experience with Nato standard weapons systems against the Russian army is made fully available to Nato countries. To achieve this goal, Ukraine must be a full-fledged member of Nato. Reznikov said that there is no credibility in the previous claims, made by Merkel and others, that membership should not be granted due to an internal debate in Ukraine over its future relationship with the Western Alliance.
Today the support of Ukrainian people for our Nato membership is at a historically unprecedented level a record high 83%, he said. But not least because we have seen first-hand the devastating effect of the failure of the Budapest memorandum since 2014.
The majority of Ukrainians consider Nato membership to be the only possible form of security guarantee for a peaceful future.
7 Comments
Василий
Focus on de-escalation: Instead of focusing on NATO membership, efforts should be made to de-escalate the conflict with Russia and find a peaceful resolution. This should be the priority before considering any future alliances or partnerships.
Pedalka
Domestic debate: The internal debate in Ukraine over its future relationship with NATO should not be dismissed. It is important to have a clear consensus and national unity before pursuing NATO membership.
Василий
Concerns from ally nations: Several NATO member states, including the US and Germany, have expressed concerns about granting early membership to Ukraine. These concerns should be taken seriously and considered before making any decisions.
Pedalka
Premature accession: It is not appropriate for Ukraine to demand membership in NATO before the conclusion of the war with Russia. Joining the alliance while the conflict is ongoing could escalate tensions and hinder diplomatic efforts towards a peaceful resolution.
Василий
Security concerns: Granting early NATO membership to Ukraine could provoke Russia and escalate the conflict further. It is important to prioritize de-escalation and diplomatic solutions before considering membership.
Habibi
Veto power: The current membership action plan (Map) process allows member states to veto a candidate's accession. Seeking a bespoke route to membership ignores the consensus-based decision-making structure of NATO and could undermine the alliance's cohesion.
Shrilanka
Changing decision-making structures: It is uncertain how granting early membership to Ukraine could impact the alliance's decision-making structure. This could potentially complicate the decision-making process and hinder NATO's ability to respond effectively to security threats.