Ukraine President's Office on NATO Summit outcomes: 'Wanted more, but it was the maximum'
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak (RBC-Ukraine, Vitalii Nosach)
Ukraine does not conceal it expected more from the NATO summit outcomes. Ahead of the meeting, Ukrainian officials continued to seek amendments to the final draft of the decision text and communique, as Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak said during a press briefing.
According to him, the summit's decision contains successful positions for Ukraine. Specifically, it includes canceling the MAP (Membership Action Plan) for Ukraine and a mention of an invitation.
"We don't hide that we wanted more. But this was the maximum that could be obtained," Yermak said.
He also denied that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's tweet, in which he criticized NATO for no invitation and a timeframe for Ukraine's membership in the Alliance, was an attempt to pressure partners.
"In this tweet, he described his expectations and what he wants to see. And he openly talked about it during the meeting with our partners. It was a clear articulation of our expectations. We set the highest bar," he said.
Yermak also clarified that there was no tension between the partners during the NATO summit and after it ended.
NATO Summit in Vilnius
At the summit, Ukraine did not receive clear conditions and a timeline for its accession to NATO. However, a joint communique on Ukraine was agreed upon, outlining the vision for Ukraine's path to NATO membership.
In particular, it stated that Ukraine would receive an invitation after consensus is reached among the member states, and the country fulfills certain conditions.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that 48 hours before the start of the summit, the communique did not mention an invitation for Ukraine. Negotiations between Ukraine and its partners changed the situation.
