It became known that Germany has developed an official position that it will insist on in Vilnius. This will be a demand to postpone Ukraine’s accession to NATO.
Irresistible fear
It has been reported that during the upcoming Vilnius summit, Berlin will make efforts to convince other NATO member states to wait with Ukraine’s membership in the North Atlantic Alliance. The main reason is the fear of a possible war between NATO and the Russian Federation.
Germany believes that if membership is granted, Article 5 will have to be applied immediately. This article entails treating an attack on one country as an attack on all. However, Berlin is not confident that this will stop the Kremlin.
We bluff, as in cards
The former president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, has expressed concern that if Western partners do not grant Kyiv permission to join NATO, it may be perceived by Putin as an indication of fear of the Russian Federation. Poroshenko believes that such behavior will only give confidence to the aggressor making it believe that no one can resist it.
Is Germany sacrificing Kyiv?
At the same time, official Berlin reports that it simply chooses a moderate position. The focus is on providing guarantees to Kyiv without the expectation of membership in the Alliance. It is emphasized that these guarantees must be effective and all efforts should be made by Europe and the US to ensure this.
We also have supporters
There are certain countries that do not agree with the point of view of the German government. For example, Great Britain insists on speeding up Ukraine’s application for NATO membership. The Pentagon notes that Kyiv will find its own unexpected way into the Alliance.