NATO invitation would be a step towards real guarantees for Ukraine, says Poland's Duda
Photo: Polish President Andrzej Duda (Getty Images)
Ukraine's invitation to NATO could be the first step toward real security guarantees, believes Polish President Andrzej Duda.
According to him, he has consistently advocated for NATO countries to agree on inviting Ukraine to join the alliance.
“This would be the first step toward providing Ukraine with real guarantees. We have discussed with President (Volodymyr Zelenskyy - ed.) all NATO-related meetings, particularly those at the NATO Summit in The Hague. This is a goal we need to pursue. It is a realistic goal,” Duda said.
Some NATO member states are inclined to support the idea of inviting Ukraine, he added.
NATO Summit in The Hague, Netherlands, is scheduled for June 24-25, 2025.
Support and opposition to inviting Ukraine to NATO
Politico reported at least seven member countries oppose the idea.
Among them are key nations such as the United States and Germany, which are concerned about the potential risk of being drawn into a military conflict with Russia. With Donald Trump’s election as US president, Ukraine's invitation to NATO seems even more unlikely.
Other opposing nations include Hungary and Slovakia, whose leaders generally follow a pro-Russian stance. Countries like Belgium, Slovenia, and Spain are hesitant. While they theoretically support Ukraine's invitation, there is a likelihood that, when it comes to implementation, they might obstruct its realization.
Meanwhile, open support for inviting Ukraine to NATO comes from Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ruled out the possibility of reducing the Armed Forces even after receiving an invitation to join NATO.
He also suggested that Ukraine might become a NATO member before fully reclaiming its occupied territories. In such a case, collective security guarantees would apply only to territories under Ukrainian control.
