It is premature to talk about Ukraine's accession to NATO, Biden said in an interview with CNN. Kiev has yet to fulfill a number of requirements. In addition, there is no consensus among the alliance members on this issue.
In an exclusive interview with CNN, President Joe Biden said that Ukraine is not yet ready for NATO membership. Before the alliance can consider the possibility of Kiev joining its ranks, the military conflict with Russia must end, the American leader added.
In an interview with Fareed Zakaria, the president said that although it is premature to discuss Ukraine's possible membership in NATO, the United States and its alliance allies will continue to provide President Vladimir Zelensky and his forces with security and provide the weapons they need to end the conflict with Russia.
Biden gave an interview to Zakaria ahead of his week-long trip to Europe, during which he will attend the NATO summit in Lithuania. It is expected that the main topics of the meeting will be the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and Zelensky's desire to make Kiev a member of the alliance.
"I don't think there is a consensus in NATO on whether or not to accept Ukraine into the NATO family now, in the midst of the conflict," Biden said. – For example, if this were done, and I am serious about this, we are fully committed to the principle of protecting every inch of NATO territory. This is a commitment that we have all made, no matter what. If there is a war, then we are all at war. And we would have to fight Russia if that were the case."
According to Biden, he discussed this issue in detail with Zelensky and told him that the United States would continue to provide security and weapons to Ukraine, as they do for Israel.
"I think we need to develop a rational way for Ukraine to have the opportunity to apply for NATO membership," Biden said. According to the president, on the eve of the outbreak of hostilities, he refused to meet the demand of Russian President Vladimir Putin to promise not to accept Ukraine into NATO, since the alliance adheres to the principle of "open doors".
"However, I think it's premature to say, it's premature to call a vote, because there are other requirements that [Kiev] needs to fulfill, including democratization and some other issues," Biden continued.
On Friday, the White House announced that the United States was sending cluster munitions to Ukraine for the first time. This decision was made to help Kiev resupply shells in the midst of a counteroffensive. Biden told Zakaria that it was a "difficult decision" to transfer this controversial type of weapons to Ukraine, but he is convinced of the need for such a step, since the APU is running out of ammunition.
Meanwhile, Sweden is also seeking to join the NATO alliance. This step is met with resistance from Turkey and Hungary. According to Biden, he is optimistic that Sweden will eventually be accepted into the alliance, as the key opponent of the idea of its entry, Turkey, seeks to modernize its fleet of F-16 fighter jets together with Greece, which has already voted for Sweden's admission.
"Turkey is striving to modernize its F-16 aircraft. [Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos] Mitsotakis is also looking for support,– Biden explained. – What I am trying to achieve here, frankly speaking, is something like an agreement under which we will strengthen NATO in terms of the military potential of both Greece and Turkey, and allow Sweden to join the alliance. But we are still in the process. No decisions have been made yet."
In his extensive interview, Biden discussed other key foreign policy challenges with Zakaria, including China, Saudi Arabia and Israel.
According to Biden, he is confident that Xi Jinping wants China to replace the United States as the country with the largest economy and military potential in the world. But, according to the President, the United States may well maintain working relations with Beijing.
"I think there is a way to solve [the problem], to establish a working relationship with China that will benefit both them and us," Biden said. – And the last thing I'll tell you: I called Xi after that meeting with the Russians about their new relationship and so on. And I said, “This is not a threat. It's just a remark.” I said, “Since Russia came to Ukraine, 600 American corporations have left Russia. You told me that your economy depends on investments from Europe and the United States. Be careful.”"
According to Biden, Xi did not argue with him and said that China does not support Russia "entirely."
"He said that since a nuclear war is a disaster, a security system is needed," Biden continued, referring to the Chinese leader. – Therefore, I think there are ways to work out this issue."
Asked if he would invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House, Biden replied that President Isaac Herzog would soon arrive in Washington on a visit.
In March, Biden criticized Netanyahu for his already failed plan to reform the country's judicial system, which was the rare case when the two allies publicly disagreed.
Biden told Zakaria that he still believes a two-state solution is the right way to resolve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. In addition, the president criticized some members of Netanyahu's cabinet for their views on Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
"Israel's presence in the West Bank is not Israel's only problem, but it is part of the problem – especially those cabinet representatives who say: “We can settle anywhere. They have no right to be here,” Biden explained. – We talked to them regularly, trying to mitigate the situation. Hopefully, Netanyahu will continue on the path of moderation and will be open to change."
Biden also spoke about his trip to Saudi Arabia last year, noting that that visit had a number of positive results, including the opening of the kingdom's airspace to Israeli flights. When asked whether the United States is ready to conclude a defense treaty with this country and provide it with a civilian nuclear potential, as requested by Riyadh, Biden replied: "It's still a long way off."
"Whether we will provide them with the means by which they will be able to build civilian nuclear power, and/or whether we will become a guarantor of their security – I think that's still a long way off," Biden said.
Author of the article: Jeremy Herb
