When should Ukraine join NATO? And does a fundamental shortening of the recording process make sense? The positions of NATO members on these and other issues could not be more divergent. Below is an overview of what the alliance path for Ukraine could look like.
At the NATO summit on Tuesday and Wednesday in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, the main focus is on the signal that the 31 member states are sending to Ukraine for further rapprochement with the transatlantic alliance. In principle, everyone agrees that the country ravaged by the Russian offensive war should join the Western military alliance.
Many questions, few answers
But when and how do the similarities end? The only thing that is certain is that admission in wartime is out of the question. The Eastern European NATO countries are now demanding a concrete timetable for admission. States such as Germany and the US are more cautious and emphasize that a country at war cannot be granted automaticity.
An important open question is what will happen when the war ends at some point? Does NATO already have to guarantee Ukraine in Vilnius that the country will be admitted immediately after the end of the war? Hard to imagine that the US, but also Germany, would follow this path. Or should the top prefer a soft wording, for example that Ukraine will be admitted to NATO as soon as the security situation permits?
The Eastern European states, especially the Baltic republics, are unlikely to agree. And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is likely to be disappointed either way. Open formulations are problematic because they leave room for interpretation. As a result, it would not be clear what would happen between ending any war and joining NATO.
Overall, the US and Germany have pledged security guarantees to Ukraine to prevent Russia from recovering in a war-free period and then again attacking its neighbors with military force.
US and Germany as inhibitors
However, those responsible, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, have so far remained silent about what exactly such security guarantees could be. What is clear is that there will be no obligation to provide assistance as per Article Five of the NATO treaty.
However, what individual member states want to do outside the Alliance is still completely open. At the same time, the question arises whether Ukraine should undergo a regular accession process, ie including a so-called individual Membership Action Plan (MAP), which gradually adapts the country to the standards of the alliance.
Ukraine: Process is shortened
According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, the Allies have decided not to impose this step-by-step process on Ukraine. Kuleba tweeted Monday: “Welcome this long overdue decision that shortens our path to NATO.” The alliance has yet to confirm it.
Because this question has also caused controversy so far. The camp around Germany and the US is also more cautious here. Chancellor Scholz and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock have repeatedly stressed that there can be no “fast track” to NATO – including Ukraine.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
