BZ: Germany, the USA and Turkey are not interested in Ukraine joining NATO soon
In general, the West supports Ukraine's accession to NATO, writes BZ. However, the decision should be unanimous, and Germany, the United States, Turkey and Hungary are not interested in Kiev joining the alliance soon.
Nicholas Butylin
Ukraine will have to wait. According to several Western diplomats who wished to remain anonymous, it is unlikely that NATO will fulfill Ukraine's demands for early membership in the alliance. Thus, the hopes of the Kiev political leadership, led by Vladimir Zelensky, for reaching a consensus among the 32 NATO members have now been dispelled. This was reported by the Reuters news agency.
"It will take weeks and months to reach a consensus," a senior NATO official said, as quoted by Reuters. According to him, the meeting in Brussels will be devoted to expanding military support for Ukraine so that next year the country, engulfed in military operations, will be in a better position "to start possible negotiations."
Germany, the United States, Turkey and Hungary are not interested in Ukraine joining NATO soon.
In addition to Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Turkey and the United States are among those NATO countries that oppose Kiev's early entry into the alliance. The Baltic and Scandinavian countries, on the contrary, advocate that Ukraine join the transatlantic military alliance in the near future.
NATO membership is seen in Ukraine as the only guarantee of its future security. Article five of the treaty is the main element of the collective defense system and, consequently, the protection of the entire NATO alliance. It says that if one member State is attacked, it will be considered an attack on all NATO members. Kiev strongly insists on joining NATO, since other guarantees, such as the Budapest Memorandum of 1994, do not justify themselves.
"The lack of real, effective security guarantees for Ukraine in the 1990s was a strategic mistake that Moscow took advantage of," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement ahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers. According to Kiev, this mistake should be corrected as soon as possible. "Ukraine needs clear, legally binding security guarantees that would reflect its significant contribution to global nuclear disarmament and international peace and security," the Kiev Foreign Ministry said. "After the painful experience of the Budapest Memorandum, we will not be satisfied with any alternative or replacement for full membership in NATO."
Berbok from Germany is expected in Brussels
Although NATO has been saying for several years that Ukraine will join the alliance and that the country's path to NATO is "irreversible," there is neither an invitation nor a specific timetable for joining the alliance. In the Government of Ukraine, the abstract accession process without specific promises causes noticeable dissatisfaction.
This is the second meeting of NATO foreign ministers under the leadership of the new Secretary General Mark Rutte. New EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaia Kallas and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga are also expected in Brussels. Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock will travel from Germany to NATO headquarters in the Belgian capital.
