US and allies discuss commitments to Ukraine's NATO membership – CNN
Photo: NATO is discussing what commitments to give to Ukraine before the summit (Getty Images)
NATO allies are discussing what commitments to give to Ukraine regarding its membership at the upcoming 75th Alliance summit in Washington, according to CNN.
Discussions are ongoing among key allies. Specifically, European partners are criticizing the US for not being willing to go too far on the issue of Ukraine's membership. Among the critics are countries located near the Russian border.
US and German officials have proposed that the Alliance promise at the July summit that Ukraine has a "bridge" to NATO membership, rather than an "irreversible path." This was stated by Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in April.
A US official noted that representatives of the Biden administration do not believe that the word "irreversible" is supported by all NATO countries. For example, Hungary is mentioned. Some Alliance members are reluctant to use this word because Ukraine still needs democratic and anti-corruption reforms.
At the same time, according to the agency, most Central European countries are disappointed with the ambiguity and hesitation of the Biden administration. Another European official stated that EU allies have directly lobbied the White House to make Ukraine's path as clear as possible.
An official from an Eastern European country commented to CNN that the US remains "flexible" ahead of the official meetings next month. Officials emphasize that the NATO communiqué has not yet been adopted and the issue is being actively discussed.
Ukraine's path to NATO
During the full-scale war, Ukraine has taken a step closer to joining NATO by submitting an official application for membership in the Alliance. For more details on how Ukraine is moving towards NATO, see our material.
Recently, US President Joe Biden stated that Russia needs to be deprived of the ability to attack Ukraine again. However, he emphasized that this does not necessarily mean Ukrainian membership in NATO.
In Ukraine, it was stated that NATO membership is a historical fact for Kyiv. Therefore, when the right moment comes, it will happen within a few weeks.
