The disputes about whether Ukraine will join NATO have been intense, especially over the past year. Some politicians are sure that the country has been “surrendered” and will never become a member of the North Atlantic Alliance. At the same time, something is happening. It can be regarded as the actual step of NATO toward Ukraine.
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Acting NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg gave a briefing on Estonian Independence Day. One of the discussed topics was the situation around Russian aggression.
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Recall: from June 12, 2020, Ukraine received the status of a member of the NATO Enhanced Opportunities Program.
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During the briefing, Stoltenberg invited Zelenskyy to the NATO summit in Vilnius, which will be held in July 2023.
President or just picture
The Secretary General highlighted that the physical presence of the President of Ukraine is desirable. It is clear that this will remain in question until the last moment since the war continues in the country. So, the situation on the fronts will be the decisive factor. This is not mentioned directly, but there are many risks, starting with the actual existence of Ukraine at that time and ending with the security issues of the President.
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The format of the July summit is a meeting of NATO leaders. The invitation of Zelenskyy to it speaks very clearly about the open position toward Ukraine. However, the rhetoric about de facto NATO membership remains one of the main motives for political and propaganda manipulation.
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The President of Ukraine could attend a similar summit in Madrid, which was held in June 2022, only online.
Need to get ready
During a conference in Munich, British Prime Minister Sunak said that NATO must guarantee the security of Ukraine. This issue will be the main one during the July summit. To make the meeting of the leaders of the alliance productive, it is already necessary to prepare options, consider mechanisms for guarantees, and so on.
