Should Ukraine receive an invitation to join NATO? At the summit of the alliance states in Washington, there is now a compromise on the issue.
NATO assures Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia, that it can no longer be stopped on its way to joining the defense alliance. In the text of the final declaration of the NATO summit in Washington, the path to membership is described as “irreversible,” as the German Press Agency learned after the conclusion of negotiations on the document.
At the same time, the text emphasises once again that a formal invitation to join can only be issued if all allies agree and all conditions for accession are met. These include reforms in the areas of democracy, the economy and the security sector.
Accession perspective remains a controversial issue
The text is a compromise that reflects the different positions within the alliance on the NATO accession process. The NATO perspective for Ukraine has long been a contentious issue within the alliance. Countries such as Germany and the USA are refusing to issue a formal invitation to join in the current situation. The main reason is the concern that such a step could lead to a further escalation of the war in Ukraine.
On the other hand, there are numerous other allies who argue that Russia should be shown clearly that it will not be able to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO. In this logic, there is hope that inviting Ukraine to NATO could even lead to a quicker end to the war.
The German-American position is problematic for Ukraine, especially because it could be an argument for Moscow against starting negotiations. One of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin’s declared war aims is to prevent the neighboring country from joining NATO.
The NATO states had actually already reached an agreement in principle on the admission of Ukraine in 2008. At that time, at a summit meeting in Bucharest, it was agreed that Ukraine would become a member of NATO – but without any timetable.
At least 40 billion euros in military aid
The text of the final declaration also assures Ukraine that it will again receive military aid worth at least 40 billion euros within the next year. This is the amount that has also been mobilized in recent years.
The commitment falls well short of what the outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had originally demanded. Stoltenberg wanted a multi-year commitment to show Putin that he cannot rely on the West’s diminishing commitment. However, the USA, among others, did not want to make a long-term commitment.
The summit declaration should be published after the working session of the heads of state and government on Wednesday evening German time. A meeting of the so-called NATO-Ukraine Council with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also planned for this Thursday to conclude the summit.
NATO summit website
Source: Stern
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