The prospect of Kyiv leaving the first NATO-Ukraine Council with a concrete roadmap for its integration into the military alliance finally collapsed after the statements made by the President of the United States. Despite the organisation’s secretary-general confirming at the NATO summit in Vilnius next month that there would be no invitation for the country at war to participate, some states had pushed for a political path that would have a horizon of integration would offer.
During a trip to Philadelphia, Joe Biden was unenthusiastic about a fast track for Ukraine to join NATO once the war with Russia is over. When asked if he would make it easier for that country to join the military organization, the US president was clear: “No, because they have to meet the same standards. So I’m not going to make it any easier. I think that they have already done everything in terms of demonstrating military coordination capability. But then the whole question is whether our system should be protected. Is it free of corruption? Does it meet all the standards that all other NATO countries meet? I think so I think it can. But it’s not automatic,” he said.
In the Ukrainian capital, the NATO summit was seen as an opportunity where the country could get tangible security guarantees and not just vague statements such as the formula of “open door policy”. On its side, countries such as Poland and the Baltic states argued in this sense. But they were opposed by Germany, Hungary and the United States, according to the Financial Times. The salmon-colored newspaper heard US officials argue that the top priority should be discussion of practical support such as ammunition supplies and not debates about post-conflict political and military relations.
The Russian leader tried to contrast with the Ukrainian by saying he was open to peace proposals from the seven-country delegation led by South African Cyril Ramaphosa.
The pressure continued on Thursday as MEPs in plenary approved a resolution asking member countries of the Atlantic alliance to honor their commitment and “pave the way” for Kiev to be invited to join NATO once the war is over. What the 31 countries have to offer for now is the aforementioned NATO-Ukraine Council, a form in which the country’s status is symbolically elevated to sit at the same conference table.
In St. Petersburg, Russian leader Vladimir Putin received the African delegation that had met with Volodymyr Zelensky the day before and did not let the Ukrainian’s rejection of the proposal to start negotiations go unnoticed. “Dear friends, it was not us, but the Ukrainian leaders who announced that they would not enter into negotiations. We are certainly ready to study any of your proposals,” he told the group.
Earlier, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told the Russian president that the “war must end” in Ukraine. “This war must be resolved through negotiations and diplomatic means,” he said. Putin – who does not recognize Ukrainian sovereignty – thanked the delegation for the “balanced approach” and pledged to be open to peace “based on the principles of justice and the interests of the parties”.
Source: DN
