Romanian expert: Ukraine will not receive the invitation to join the North Atlantic Alliance at the Vilnius Summit
The creation of a new NATO-Ukraine Council at the Alliance's Vilnius Summit on 11-12 July, where Ukraine will discuss on an equal footing with NATO allies, argues the importance that Ukraine is given in this difficult period, said for Radio Moldova, the political commentator from Bucharest, Laurențiu Pleșca. The expert argues that Ukraine will not receive the invitation to become a NATO member in Vilnius, but this could happen after the end of the war.
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski applied for NATO membership as recently as last year, but NATO leaders have not responded. For now, the allies' solidarity with Ukraine is focused on financial and military support, although some countries, particularly in Ukraine's neighbourhood, are more open to Ukraine joining NATO, says Laurențiu Pleșca.
"All NATO states have recognised that Ukraine will not join the North Atlantic Alliance. However, NATO allies, in my view, are not on the same page about what they can offer Ukraine at this Summit in Vilnius, because we have some allies who are more cautious, including the United States, Germany, and southern European countries, because they are wary of repeating, for example, the Bucharest Declaration of 2008 in which Ukraine and Georgia were offered membership without further steps, but Russia attacked Georgia and instigated several frozen conflicts."
The Bucharest-based expert also noted that during the Russian-initiated war, Ukraine demonstrated its military capabilities. It would thus be an important partner in the Alliance, especially on the Eastern flank.
At the small format meeting in The Hague on the NATO summit in Vilnius, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis expressed the hope that the leaders of the North Atlantic Alliance would mention Moldova in the final document. This implies support for overcoming the crisis caused by the war in the neighbouring country.
