Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on U.S. President Joe Biden to invite Ukraine to NATO ‘now’ – even if membership comes only after the war.
Source: CNN.
Zelensky appeals to Biden regarding NATO
In an interview with CNN, Zelensky stated that Biden is ‘making a decision’ on whether Ukraine will join NATO or not.
“He supports our future in NATO, but an invitation now would be a tremendous motivation for Ukrainian soldiers,” said Zelensky.
The publication states that Ukraine’s aspiration to join NATO is enshrined in the constitution, and its relations with NATO date back to the early 1990s. On July 11th and 12th, a NATO summit is scheduled to take place in Lithuania, where it is expected that leaders will discuss Ukraine’s membership. In response to the question of why not wait for an invitation, Zelensky said it is “very important” for Ukraine to receive an invitation “now.”
“It is extremely important to feel that you are truly alongside allies in the future,” he added. Zelensky further stated that he understands Ukraine “will never be in NATO until the war is over.” We understand everything. But this signal is really crucial. And it depends on Biden’s decision.
NATO considers the settlement of territorial disputes as a ‘factor determining whether to invite a state to join the Alliance.’
What does Ukraine expect from the NATO summit?
Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Igor Zhovkva, has announced that Ukraine expects a political decision from the NATO summit to initiate the procedure of inviting Ukraine to membership and a decision regarding the provision of security guarantees. NATO is already aware of the requirements that Ukraine considers acceptable.
“The level of formulations that Ukraine wants to receive in Vilnius, the so-called deliverables, is on the table of each of the leaders of NATO member states. Everyone knows about them, and everyone senses that Ukraine will insist on them until the beginning of the summit,” he said.
In particular, Ukraine demands accession without a Membership Action Plan (MAP), following the example of Finland and Sweden.