At a summit in Vilnius, NATO leaders will reaffirm their intention to eventually integrate Ukraine into the alliance. However, the exact wording of this commitment, which meets Kiev’s strong expectations, is the subject of intense negotiations.
“Moscow has been sowing death and destruction in the heart of Europe for 500 days, trying to destroy Ukraine and split NATO,” Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday. “The summit (…) will send a clear message: NATO is united and Russia’s aggression will not pay off.”
“I expect our leaders to reaffirm that Ukraine will become a member of NATO and to consider together how to bring Ukraine closer to its goal,” he continued.
Jens Stoltenberg did not want to get into the exact wording of this message, which will be sent to Kiev during the July 11-12 summit in Vilnius. This crucial point has been at the center of discussions between the 31 members of the Atlantic Alliance for months.
Allianz Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on June 28 in Paris AFP
“We are in the process of consulting and working on the exact wording that will be published once we have agreed,” he cautiously commented.
“But I am confident that we will have a clear message,” added the Norwegian, who was reappointed on Tuesday to lead this military alliance until October 2024.
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is expected at the summit, is asking NATO for concrete commitments regarding the prospect of membership as soon as the war started by Russia is over.
While Eastern European countries support Kiev’s bid, the US and Germany are reluctant to go beyond the promise made in 2008 that Ukraine would become a member of NATO.
The Ukrainian leader called for “honesty” on Thursday. It’s time to demonstrate “the courage and strength of this alliance,” he said, adding that saying “the door to Ukraine is open” is not “sufficient.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting with the Czech President on July 7, 2023 AFP
At the Vilnius summit, the first session of the new NATO-Ukraine Council will take place, designed to strengthen ties with Kiev.
The 31 NATO members have also pledged €500 million to a multi-year program designed to bring Ukraine closer to Alliance standards.
The NATO Secretary General stressed that the “priority task” was “to support Ukraine for as long as necessary”. “That’s why the Allies are increasing their military aid,” he said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul early Friday evening, the final leg of his international trip to secure more Western arms and allied support for Ukraine’s NATO membership.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on June 21, 2023 AFP
Before invading Ukraine, Russia had presented its neighbor’s integration into the alliance as a red line, which the Kremlin sees as a threat to its sovereignty. The offensive against the neighbor has already convinced Finland and Sweden to join NATO.
Finland, which became the 31st member of this military alliance in April, will attend a NATO summit for the first time. Sweden’s candidacy is blocked by Turkey. A meeting between Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is scheduled for Monday, on the eve of the summit, to try to resolve the situation.
NATO countries must also strengthen their defense spending target at the summit by setting a minimum of 2% of GDP. You committed yourself ten years ago to striving for this goal.
“Only three allies then spent 2% of their GDP on defense. This year, 11 allies met or exceeded that goal,” said Jens Stoltenberg.