“Invitation”. This is a word that did not exist two days ago In a NATO statement approved this Tuesday On top of Vilnius (Lithuania). But it eventually went in, despite reluctance from the United States and Germany, according to negotiating sources: the Baltics and Poland were key allies of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his bid to get through the gate. NATO. NATO can be joined only by “invitation”. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in his speech after the first day of the summit: “The invitation will be sent when the conditions are met. You should understand the type of modernization of institutions, strengthening of governance, corruption and armed forces. We are working on it, on the modernization of the institutions and on the agreed interoperability between the armies. But there is also a war in Ukraine, when there is a war, it is not the time to join the alliance. At the end of the day, it has to be allies who agree, that’s how we make decisions in NATO. “We will include the word ‘invitation’ and provide the means for Ukraine to join NATO.”
And what exactly does the statement say? “The Alliance will support Ukraine in carrying out reforms on the road to future accession. “We will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance when the allies agree and the terms are met.”
Indeed, the word “invitation” is followed by others, which does not convince the President of Ukraine. 31 The Allies support the concept with two ideas: that the right conditions exist – mainly when the war ends – and that then there must be an agreement among members.
Of course, the allies do not indicate a calendar or specific deadlines, which led to criticism from Zelensky: “Ukraine deserves respect. Now, on the way to Vilnius, we have received signals that a formulation without Ukraine is being discussed. And I want to emphasize that this is only the wording of the invitation, not the accession of Ukraine. It is unheard of and absurd that there is no timetable for Ukraine’s invitation or accession; And “conditions” are added to the strange terms for inviting Ukraine… It seems that there is no desire to invite Ukraine to NATO or its membership. Uncertainty is weakness. And I will speak frankly about it at the summit.”
Zelensky arrived in Vilnius on Tuesday afternoon, where he plans to dine with the rest of the allies, before tomorrow he attends the first NATO-Ukraine Council, a newly created body that is part of the enhanced security package. NATO members approved for Ukraine at the summit.
In addition to this advice, NATO includes the concept of “mutual security guarantees” between various members and Kyiv. The formula, which is also not so good for Ukraine and some of its main allies, such as Poland, is the same formula used before joining the alliance with Finland and Sweden. because? Because guarantees can only be issued between NATO countries and non-NATO countries; NATO, as an entity by itself, cannot engage with a third country in this way.
Another issue that Zelensky has also achieved is the simplification of entry procedures into Ukraine. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that members of the Atlantic alliance had agreed to withdraw Membership Action Plan (MAP): Means that the Ukrainian government will not have to participate in a multi-year program to demonstrate that it has implemented the necessary military, economic and political reforms to join the military alliance. “Instead of two steps to membership, there will be one,” Stoltenberg said: “That’s what we’ve removed now. This is a significant difference from the 2008 summit and also from the Ukraine aid program.
Source: El Diario
