NATO leaders seek to overcome divisions on Ukraine’s membership bid after a deal to lift Turkey’s block on Sweden joining the military alliance. But Kyiv will likely be kept waiting for a membership invitation while the war in Ukraine rages on.
A senior US official said the alliance had progressed toward a common language in Ukraine. The official said it would not include a timeframe for an invitation, but it would lay out a clear message that “we stand with Ukraine as long as necessary.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential talks.
The alliance’s summit in the Lithuanian capital will be dominated by the repercussions of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has sparked fears of an escalating conflict that could threaten Europe’s security and destabilize the entire region. The two-day summit is expected to approve NATO’s first comprehensive plans since the end of the Cold War to defend against any attack from Moscow.
At the same time, the alliance is preparing to send an even stronger signal of support for Ukraine by strengthening defense investment and agreeing on a longer-term commitment to military aid. The US president, Joe Biden, has also promised that Washington will provide security guarantees to Kyiv akin to those given to Israel.
Ahead of the summit, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the Swedish foreign minister announced a deal to lift Turkey’s block of Stockholm’s membership. But a Turkish parliament vote on whether to ratify the move is still needed. Hungary’s government is also expected to ratify the plan.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the alliance must respect his country and clearly state that it is ready to welcome Ukraine. But he has criticized the vague wording of the summit’s declaration that says NATO members do not intend to invite Ukraine or make it a member while a war is ongoing in the country. “It seems to me completely absurd when the summit declaration mentions that ‘it is unclear whether Ukraine can be invited to join at the moment, nor should it, while the situation in the country is fragile,'” he wrote on Twitter.
NATO leaders are expected to agree to give Ukraine a permanent supply of military equipment. The US has already committed to supplying Ukraine with Storm Shadow missiles, which range about 250km (155 miles). France’s MBDA has also offered to deliver the weapons designed to shoot down enemy planes.
The alliance is also preparing to increase its funding of Ukraine’s defense spending to 2% of the member state’s gross domestic product. Currently, only seven of the 28 NATO members meet that target. The bloc is also looking at ways to boost security and counter Russian influence in the Baltic region, including a joint force focusing on cyber attacks.
Amid rising tensions with Moscow, the alliance is also expected to announce new steps against arms smuggling to Ukraine. NATO’s European members are also set to agree to raise the level of non-lethal aid for Kyiv, such as medical supplies and demining. Norway, which will lead this effort, has agreed to increase its budget from 7.5 billion Norwegian kroner to 10 billion over five years.
