VILNIUS, Lithuania—NATO members on July 11 issued a statement expressing their support for Ukraine’s membership in the alliance but failed to provide a timeline for when that might occur.
The high-stakes summit in Vilnius, on July 11–12, brings together leaders from the alliance’s 31 member countries to discuss crucial global security challenges, including the war in Ukraine.
The allies reaffirmed their commitment made at the 2008 Bucharest Summit and acknowledged that Kyiv has made “substantial progress on its reform path.”
In its communiqué, NATO also removed the requirement that Ukraine implement a so-called Membership Action Plan. Instead, they’ve adapted an “Annual National Program” to review progress on a regular basis.
The alliance committed to assisting Ukraine in implementing further democratic and security reforms needed in preparation for its eventual membership.
“We will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance when Allies agree and conditions are met,” the member nations stated.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was disappointed by the decision. It would be absurd, he said on July 11, if Kyiv wasn’t given a timetable for joining NATO at this year’s meeting in Vilnius.
Mr. Zelenskyy also said Ukraine “deserves respect” and criticized the communiqué’s phrasing for being “discussed without Ukraine.”
Before heading to the summit, U.S. President Joe Biden told CNN that the war with Russia must be over before NATO can admit Ukraine.
“I don’t think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war,” the president said during the interview aired on July 9.
“It’s a commitment that we’ve all made, no matter what. If the war is going on, then we’re all in war. We’re at war with Russia if that were the case.”
White House national security spokesman John Kirby reiterated that stance on July 11.
“Of course, they are at war right now. So NATO membership in the immediate future isn’t likely because that would put NATO at war with Russia,” Mr. Kirby told CNN.
Mr. Biden also said the United States and NATO allies must present a “rational path” for Ukraine to qualify for membership in the military alliance.
The White House also indicated that Ukraine could receive “Israel-style” security guarantees in its fight against Russia.
That means that the United States would “provide various forms of military assistance, intelligence and information sharing, cyber support, and other forms of material support so that Ukraine can both defend itself and deter future aggression,” Mr. Sullivan told reporters on July 9.
“I expect that at Vilnius, you will see the president speaking to this issue and consulting with [Ukrainian] President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy on this issue, as well as our G-7 partners and other partners as well.”
Mr. Biden is expected to meet with Mr. Zelenskyy on July 12 on the sidelines of the summit.
