NATO leaders presented a plan Tuesday for Ukraine to join the military alliance “when Allies agree and conditions are met,” hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy strongly expressed his opposition to such a vague timeline, calling it “absurd.”
The clashing approaches made for a tense opening to NATO’s two-day summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, a day after Turkey lifted its opposition to Sweden’s accession to the alliance in a major demonstration of apparent unity.
Zelenskyy arrived at the meeting after threatening to skip it even though the fortunes of his war-battered nation were taking center stage. But he didn’t hide his displeasure over NATO’s reluctance to provide a clearer path for entry.
“It’s unprecedented and absurd when time frame is not set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine’s membership,” he tweeted. “While at the same time vague wording about ‘conditions’ is added even for inviting Ukraine.”
He said this leaves Ukraine in a weaker position in future peace negotiations with Russia, which vehemently opposes its neighbor – and the target of its invading forces ‒ becoming part of the alliance. “For Russia, this means motivation to continue its terror,” Zelenskyy said.
The NATO communique issued Tuesday lauded Ukraine’s efforts and signaled broad support for membership − when the war is over. It provided few details and no solid timeline.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters that leaders had actually removed requirements, such as a membership action plan, so Ukraine could join more quickly once the war is over.
“This will change Ukraine’s membership path from a two-step path to a one-step path,” he said.
Zelenskyy said he decided to attend the summit out of respect for the alliance, but said “Ukraine also deserves respect.” He is scheduled to meet Wednesday with President Joe Biden and other leaders.
Developments:
∎Ukraine’s battlefield technology system is ready to integrate F-16 fighter jets, Ukraine Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Tuesday. Ukraine pilots are training to fly the jets, and deliveries of the planes could begin in September.
∎Germany’s planned $770 million military aid package for Ukraine will include missile launchers, tanks and 20,000 rounds of artillery ammunition, the German media outlet Deutsche Welle reported.
Blinken: Ukraine would be defenseless without cluster munitions
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that Ukraine would be “defenseless” without the controversial cluster munitions the U.S. has agreed to supply over the objections of some allies. Blinken, in an interview on MSNBC, reiterated the White House explanation that stockpiles of other munitions were running low in the West and that cluster munitions would fill the gap. Neither the U.S., Ukraine or Russia is among nations that have banned cluster munitions due to the risks they pose to civilians.
“The hard but necessary choice to give them the cluster munitions amounted to this: If we didn’t do it, we don’t do it, then they will run out of ammunition,” Blinken said. “If they run out of ammunition, then they will be defenseless.”
Kremlin will take ‘necessary measures’ as Sweden joins NATO
Moscow is prepared to take unspecified measures to ensure its security “depending on how quickly and extensively” NATO taps into new territory in Sweden and Finland, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday. Finland has formally joined the alliance, and a deal has been struck with NATO holdout Turkey to allow Sweden’s accession. Finland shares a border of more than 800 miles with Russia; Sweden and Russia share a maritime border.
“Helsinki and Stockholm are already discussing a variety of issues with the United States that relate to the deployment of the alliance’s infrastructure right on the Russian border,” Lavrov said. “The necessary measures (will be taken), we know what these measures should be and how to put them into practice.”
