BRUSSELS — Kiev is seeking a commitment to its NATO membership aspirations at a summit next month, Ukraine’s ambassador to the alliance said on Tuesday.
Speaking to POLITICO in Brussels, Ukraine’s ambassador to NATO, Natalia Galibarenko, said her country wanted “some kind of invitation — or at least an obligation.” […] to review the timeline and modalities of our membership.”
NATO leaders will meet in Vilnius in mid-July for the alliance’s annual summit, and the issue of Ukraine’s accession efforts is likely to be the most politically sensitive item on the agenda.
But Galibarenko, who has represented Ukraine in NATO since 2021, showed a clear understanding of this possibility.
She acknowledged that for many, every commitment is “a red line.” […] because they believe it is a burden to them.”
“I can understand the point – I cannot support it,” Galibarenko said, while emphasizing that “we are being realistic and are not currently pushing to grant us membership.”
A number of Western capitals have advocated post-war debates on Ukraine’s future place in NATO before starting a serious discussion.
Ukrainian officials say they understand the country will not join NATO while fighting continues and that a direct invitation to join NATO at the Vilnius summit is unlikely – but they are still urging that the NATO state – and heads of government make a “political decision” on membership.
“Let’s agree some kind of commitment, for example – if conditions allow, when the war will be over,” Galibarenko said.
Both Kiev and numerous allies on NATO’s eastern flank are pressing for the alliance to move beyond the agreement reached at a 2008 Bucharest summit that Ukraine will become a member of the alliance and that the next step would be a so-called Alliance Action Plan for the membership (MAP).
In recent days, officials have floated the idea that a compromise in Vilnius could be to drop the requirement for Ukraine to have a MAP on its path to membership.
However, when asked over the weekend whether he would make it easier for Ukraine to join the alliance, US President Joe Biden indicated that he did not support shortcuts.
“I’m not going to make it any easier. I think they’ve done everything they can to demonstrate their ability for military coordination, but the question is: is their system secure? Isn’t it corrupt? Does it meet all the standards?” said the US boss, adding, “I think they will.” I think they can. But it doesn’t happen automatically.”
Asked about Biden’s comments, the Ukrainian ambassador argued that implementing Ukraine’s reforms would be easier once she joined the club.
“I think the President is right when he says there is still a lot to do,” she said.
But, the ambassador argued, other countries that had joined the alliance had their shortcomings; and some countries, like Finland, have been able to skip the MAP process.
In any case, Kyiv will continue to work for a closer relationship with NATO – while acknowledging current limitations, she stressed.
“I’m trying to be pragmatic,” Galibarenko said, praising an expected NATO aid package, a “defence transition plan” designed to help modernize Ukraine’s armed forces, and a move to upgrade the current NATO-Ukraine Commission to the narrower format of the U.S NATO-Ukraine Council.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently threatened not to attend the Vilnius summit unless he received a clear political signal from the alliance.
But Galibarenko downplayed this, describing the proposed new aid and NATO-Ukraine Council as “an improvement in our relations.”
While the president “can’t just go back to Vilnius for the family photo again,” she said, the new endorsement provides “a solid foundation for the future president.”
A lack of an invitation to join the alliance would be “bad news,” the ambassador said. But “it’s not the end of the world if there is no invitation in Vilnius,” she said. “So not today… but maybe tomorrow, next year in Washington, who knows?”