NATO vows irreversible path to Ukraine membership

NATO members have pledged their support for an “irreversible path” toward future membership for Ukraine and have committed additional aid.

While a formal timeline for Ukraine to join the military alliance was not set during the summit in Washington DC, the 32 NATO members expressed their “unwavering” support for Ukraine’s war efforts.

NATO also announced increased integration with Ukraine’s military, and members have committed €40bn ($43.3bn, £33.7bn) in aid over the next year, including F-16 fighter jets and air defense support.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized, “Support to Ukraine is not charity – it is in our own security interest.”

The ongoing invasion of Ukraine was the primary focus of NATO’s summit, and a declaration agreed upon by all members identified Russia as the “most significant and direct threat” to security.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed that US-built F-16 jets are in the process of being transferred to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands. This marks the first time Ukraine will receive these advanced aircraft, which Kyiv has long sought. Blinken stated that the jets would be operational “this summer.”

NATO members agreed to establish a new unit to coordinate military aid and training for the Ukrainian army, aiming to strengthen ties between the alliance and Ukraine. The joint statement highlighted that these measures, along with individual aid commitments, “constitute a bridge to Ukraine’s membership in NATO.”

The statement also noted that Ukraine had made “concrete progress” on the “required democratic, economic, and security reforms” in recent months but specified that a formal membership invitation would only be extended when “conditions are met.”

“As Ukraine continues this vital work, we will continue to support it on its irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including Nato membership,” the statement added.

NATO also accused China of being a “decisive enabler” for Russia’s war against Ukraine, marking some of its harshest criticism yet of Beijing’s involvement. This elicited an angry response from Beijing’s mission to the EU, which urged NATO to “stop hyping up the so-called China threat, and provoking confrontation and rivalry.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the NATO summit, where he met with several world leaders, including his first meeting with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Sir Keir assured Mr. Zelensky that there would be “no change in support” for Ukraine’s war effort despite the new government in London.

Mr. Zelensky also met with US politicians from both the Democrat and Republican parties, aiming to secure cross-party support for Ukraine after a recent stand-off in Congress delayed a large military aid package for several months.

NATO leaders had hoped this summit would showcase a united front on Ukraine following modest Russian gains on the battlefield in recent months. However, there might be some disappointment in Kyiv that there was no clear public indication of when Ukraine might be offered full membership.

The summit, marking NATO’s 75th anniversary, occurred months ahead of a US election that could see NATO critic Donald Trump return to the White House, and amid political challenges for US President Joe Biden.

As Mr. Biden, 81, met with other NATO leaders, some influential Democrats publicly called for him to step down from the race, fearing he might be too old to compete effectively against Mr. Trump, 78, in a likely closely contested campaign.

In response to a question from the BBC, Mr. Stoltenberg declined to comment on whether US domestic politics could impact the alliance.

He said: “Nato is the most successful alliance in history because we have been able to stay out of domestic political debates.

“It’s important for me to continue to do what I can to ensure that that continues to be the case.”

Mr Biden used the summit to reaffirm his support for Ukraine and call for more defence investment from other members which have lagged behind on spending.

He said Russia is on a “wartime footing” in terms of defence production with support from Russia, North Korea and Iran – and leaders “cannot allow the alliance to fall behind”.

“We can and will defend every inch of Nato territory”, the president added.

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