NATO Summit: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Calls NATO’s Uncertain Timeframe Over Its Membership “Absurd”

NATO gave a “positive” hint to Ukraine in its quest to join the western alliance. However, the Ukrainian President called it “absurd” as NATO could not agree on giving Russia’s neighbour a fixed date for its membership of a 31-member western alliance.

On Tuesday, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia’s neighbour is about to receive a “positive message” on its way to becoming NATO’s member. The statement came as the leaders meet today to weigh in on the effect of Russia’s invasion that brought a military threat at the Western military alliance’s borders.

One of the biggest challenge remains for Ukraine in joining NATO is the difference among the organization’s 31 member nations. About this, Russia describes the situation as a national security threat for its neighbour.

Stoltenberg further said that Ukraine would benefit from more security guarantees, military aid, a new format of cooperation with the alliance, the NATO-Ukraine Council and an easing of formal conditions to join. He said, “I expect allies will send a clear, united and positive message on the path towards membership for Ukraine.”

Jake Sullivan, US national security advisor, also echoed the same sentiments and said that the military alliance would provide Ukraine with a “positive signal” regarding the country’s membership efforts. All officials showed enthusiasm as the final approval was about to reach.

US President Joe Biden’s confirmation of backing the alliance came as he spoke beside Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda. The latter is very much uncertain about the impact that Russia’s war in Ukraine would have on Eastern Europe. He said, “Our pledge to be with you has not wavered.”

The summit is anticipated to see the approval of NATO’s first wide-ranging plans since the end of the Cold War, which aims to enhance the alliance’s defense capabilities against potential threats from Russia.

A Russian diplomat based in Vienna, said that if the war escalates in Ukraine Europe will face “catastrophic consequences”, as quoted by Russia’s state news agency RIA. On the other hand, NATO members have agreed that Ukraine cannot join the alliance while the war is going on.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will also attend the summit in Vilnius. He has been pushing NATO to let the Eastern European country to join it as soon as the war is over. On the summit’s first day he said that Europe is saved from Russian aggression by Ukrainian forces. Taking on Twitter, he said, “The eastern border of Ukraine, the border of our state and the positions of our warriors are the line that the Russian dictatorship… will never cross again.”

Ukraine received further support from NATO’s Eastern members who have agreed that bringing Ukraine under the gambit of NATO would strongly keep Russia from launching further attacks. However, US and Germany have become more concerned about any action that might involve the western military alliance in direct confrontation with Russia that might even bring the world wars experience back.