NATO likely to delay Ukraine's membership invitation at Brussels meeting

NATO members are expected to delay Ukraine's request for an invitation to join the alliance during the upcoming NATO Foreign Ministerial Meeting on December 3-4.

An anonymous senior NATO diplomat indicated that achieving consensus on Ukraine's membership would take "weeks and months," adding, "I don't see that happening tomorrow, I would be very surprised," Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Ukraine applied to join NATO in September 2022, and in July 2024, the alliance affirmed Ukraine's "irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership." However, Ukraine has yet to receive any definitive information regarding its accession to the alliance.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, on November 29, urged NATO members to extend an invitation to Ukraine during the upcoming meeting in Brussels. He emphasized the urgency of the invitation in light of Russia's escalating threats, including the deployment of the new Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile and the involvement of North Korean troops.

In parallel, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that Ukraine might agree to end the "hot phase" of the war along its eastern front in exchange for NATO membership, excluding occupied territories for the time being.

On December 1, Zelenskyy also expressed concerns that NATO's Article 5 collective defense clause might not apply to Ukrainian territories still under Russian occupation, should Ukraine join the alliance.

However, Zelenskyy's rhetoric has evolved, and in an interview with Japan's Kyodo News, he stated that Ukraine may need to resort to diplomacy to liberate some Russian-occupied territories after NATO membership is assured, as Ukraine’s military currently lacks the capability to reclaim those areas through force.

Despite Ukraine's persistent calls for NATO membership, a senior US official said that the December 3-4 meeting would focus on strengthening Ukraine’s position for future negotiations, rather than advancing its NATO membership. "The best way to support Ukraine is to surge money, munitions, and mobilization," the official explained.

These comments reflect ongoing efforts by the Biden administration to bolster Ukraine's leverage ahead of potential peace talks, especially as President-elect Donald Trump, who has been critical of continued military support for Kyiv, prepares to take office in January.

On December 2, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, emphasized that increasing military aid to Ukraine is more urgent than the timing of NATO membership. He stressed that the priority is to ensure Ukraine is in a strong position when it decides to enter peace talks.

"The most important thing now is to make sure that whenever Zelenskyy decides to get into peace talks, he can do this from a position of strength," Rutte said. 

He also highlighted the need for continued military support, particularly air defense and offensive systems, to help Ukraine continue its fight.

Zelenskyy has consistently called for NATO membership but has previously stated that Ukraine will join the alliance only after the end of Russia's full-scale war.

By Vafa Guliyeva