NATO gives Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia, the hope of being included in the defense alliance, but attaches conditions to a formal invitation. A declaration made by the 31 member states at a summit meeting in Vilnius on Tuesday said: “Ukraine’s future is in NATO.” An invitation is only possible “if the allies agree and the requirements are met”. Reforms “in the area of democracy and the security sector” are mentioned as concrete examples.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg saw this decision as a clear signal – also because it also envisages a program for increased cooperation with Ukraine. “This is a strong package for Ukraine and a clear path towards NATO membership,” said Stoltenberg. For the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj, however, this is clearly not enough. Having fought for a formal invitation for months, his hopes are now dashed.
Even before the formal decision, he vented his anger on the way to Vilnius. “It looks like there is no willingness to invite Ukraine into NATO or make it a member of the alliance,” he wrote on Twitter. “For Russia, this is a motivation to continue its terror.” This vagueness is a sign of the weakness of the West. “And I will address that openly at the summit.”
After his arrival in Vilnius, Zelenskyy performed in front of thousands of people in Vilnius and strongly campaigned for acceptance into the military alliance. “NATO gives Ukraine security. Ukraine makes NATO stronger,” Zelenskyy said on a square in the center of the Lithuanian capital to cheers from people waving blue and yellow Ukrainian flags. He started the journey believing in a “strong NATO”. “A NATO that doesn’t doubt, doesn’t waste time and doesn’t look back at any aggressor,” he said, referring to Russia.
This Wednesday, the Ukrainian President will take part in the deliberations of the heads of state and government. Above all, the countries on NATO’s eastern flank, such as Poland and the Baltic States, had pushed for an invitation to Ukraine, while Germany and the USA did not want to go that far. Ukraine has been fighting a Russian invasion with Western support since the end of February last year.
NATO now wants to significantly expand cooperation and support for Ukraine. In the future, for example, there will be a NATO-Ukraine Council and a multi-year program to enable smooth cooperation between the armed forces of Ukraine and the alliance. In addition, the country is to be spared the usual pre-accession program for new members. After a formal invitation to join the alliance, it could be accepted much more quickly than, for example, the Western Balkan countries of Montenegro or North Macedonia. However, a concrete timetable for accession is not planned for the time being.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) emphasized in Vilnius that for him the main focus is now on concrete military aid for the fight against Russia. At the start of the summit, he promised Ukraine a new weapons package worth 700 million euros. Among other things, a further 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 25 Leopard 1A5 main battle tanks and five armored recovery vehicles from industrial stocks as well as two launchers for Patriot anti-aircraft missiles of the Bundeswehr are to be delivered.
There are also 20,000 rounds of artillery ammunition and 5,000 rounds of smoke ammunition, as well as reconnaissance drones and means of defending against drone attacks. Ukraine will also receive anti-mine equipment and a medical kit with components for a field hospital.
Scholz said Germany was “at the forefront” with his help. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) emphasized that the package serves Ukraine’s priorities: air defense, tanks, artillery. “In this way we are making an important contribution to strengthening Ukraine’s staying power,” he said. Germany is already the second most important arms supplier to Ukraine after the USA.
New quality weapons are not included in the utility pack. The Taurus cruise missiles requested by Ukraine are still not delivered. Ukraine wants these weapons in order to be able to attack positions of Russian forces in Ukraine far behind the front lines. The federal government is reluctant to do so because the projectiles can also reach Russian territory.
Britain is the first NATO country to deliver cruise missiles. French President Emmanuel Macron announced on the sidelines of the summit that France now also wants to deliver such weapons. The USA are still reluctant to do so, as is Germany.
Another top topic on the first day of the summit were new plans for defending against possible Russian attacks on Alliance territory. They were officially confirmed again at the top meeting. The documents, which total more than 4,000 pages, describe in detail how critical locations in the alliance area should be protected by deterrence and defended in an emergency. For this purpose, it is also defined which military capabilities are necessary. In addition to land, air and sea forces, cyber and space capabilities are also included.
The summit meeting in the Lithuanian capital began with a great success for NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. On Monday evening, after months of tough negotiations, he was able to announce an end to Turkey’s blockade of alliance expansion. At a meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to submit the accession protocol required for Sweden’s admission to the Turkish parliament for approval as soon as possible. Sweden could therefore become the 32nd member of the alliance as early as autumn.
Stoltenberg took the expansion of the defense alliance as a sign that Putin’s policy was failing. “He went to war because he wanted less nato. He gets more nato,” he said. The fact that Finland is already a member and Sweden is now becoming a member shows that Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine was a “major strategic mistake”. He underestimated both the Ukrainians and the unity of NATO as well as the political consequences in countries like Sweden and Finland.
