Shift in stance: France to support Ukraine's entry into NATO

The media sources at the Elysée Palace said that until recently, France was not ready to discuss Ukraine's entry into NATO, but over the past few months, the country has reconsidered its position. "Defending the prospect of Ukrainian membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as a means of influencing the conflict and bringing Moscow and Kyiv to the negotiating table, is the approach now favored by France in the delicate discussions between Ukraine's allies", the statement reads.

Moreover, the Ukrainian future EU accession was discussed. "A Defense Council meeting at the Elysée Palace on Monday, June 12, explored the possibility of Ukraine joining the EU, an option now considered by Paris to be a security guarantee in its own right, since it could discourage Russia from continuing the war or, should the conflict come to an end, prevent any further aggression", the media says. According to it, this prospect could convince President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy to enter into negotiations when he deems the time is right, depending on the results of the counteroffensive.

Journalists clarify that with such a stance, Paris could align more closely with Central European and Baltic states that support Ukraine's NATO membership. "The French position is now closer to that of Poland than Germany," a foreign diplomat confirmed.

Ukraine's accession to NATO

At the Bucharest summit in 2008, NATO allies promised that Ukraine would become part of the Alliance, but they did not provide any details.

Ukraine expects that at the Vilnius summit to be held on July 11-12, it will receive a roadmap to NATO. However, as Ukrainian and foreign officials said, membership is possible only after the end of the war. Before joining NATO, Ukraine hopes to secure safety guarantees that could prevent potential new Russian attacks.