Stoltenberg suggests simplification of Ukraine’s NATO membership process

UPDATE
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is on his way to the NATO summit in Vilnius, wrote that the Alliance’s lack of readiness for Ukraine’s membership is a sign of weakness, calling “unprecedented and absurd” the fact that there has been no timeframe set for Ukraine’s accession or even an invitation into NATO.

Zelensky’s tweet produced mixed reactions. A senior diplomat from Central Europe told Politico that he did not find Zelensky’s approach to be “thoughtful and fair”, adding that he thought the Ukrainian leader “is going too far”.

The Guardian quotes NATO sources as saying they believed Zelensky is engaged in last-minute hard-ball public diplomacy, aimed at prompting a rewrite of the final summit declaration or communique before the gathering closes on Wednesday. The newspaper also added that countries in central and eastern Europe have been pressing for firmer commitment to Ukraine’s postwar membership.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday ahead of the Alliance’s summit in Vilnius that he has proposed a simplified procedure for Ukraine’s accession to NATO.

“I have proposed a package of three elements with more practical support, with a multi-year program to ensure full interoperability between the Ukrainian forces and the NATO forces,” a Novaya-Europe correspondent quotes Stoltenberg as saying.

The move is expected to bring Ukraine closer to NATO, as is the establishment of the NATO Ukraine Council, which will have its inaugural meeting on Wednesday. Stoltenberg said the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will be present at the meeting, which will also aim to remove the requirement for Membership Action Plan.

“This will turn the membership process for Ukraine from a two-step process into a one-step process,” he said.

Stoltenberg further added that he expected allies to agree on more ambitious defence investments where 2% of the GDP would be the minimum, further strengthening the alliance’s deterrence and defence capabilities.

Stoltenberg assured that NATO members will continue providing military aid to Kyiv “to help them liberate more land”.

Lithuania is hosting the NATO summit this week in its capital, Vilnius.