NATO Members Differ On Fast Admission For Ukraine

June 1, 2023 Russia, Ukraine

Moscow cannot stop Ukraine from becoming a NATO member, the alliance’s chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday, as divisions among allies about the speed of Kyiv’s accession became apparent only weeks before a decisive mid-July summit in Vilnius. “All allies agree that Moscow does not have a veto against NATO enlargement,” Stoltenberg told reporters as NATO foreign ministers gathered in Oslo, seeking to dispel any signs of discord ahead of the summit.

While Kyiv and its closest allies in eastern Europe call for concrete steps to bring Ukraine closer to membership, Western governments such as the United States and Germany are wary of any move that might take the alliance closer to war with Russia. “NATO’s open door policy remains in place, but at the same time it is clear that we cannot talk about accepting new members (who are) in the midst of a war,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said.

Read the full article.

❗️The war will continue until Ukraine wins, Volodymyr #Zelensky stated at the European Political Community Summit in #Moldova

The President also said that #Ukraine is ready to join #NATO, but is waiting for the alliance to be ready. pic.twitter.com/807Kj5HwTX

— KyivPost (@KyivPost) June 1, 2023

We have a shared and unwavering commitment to stand with the brave people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Russia’s brutal war of aggression. At the beginning of the NATO #ForMin Secretary Blinken and @NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg reiterated a need for a just… pic.twitter.com/ITBWpOv3TQ

— U.S. Mission to NATO (@USNATO) June 1, 2023