Opposition to Ukraine’s NATO membership at historic low, envoy says

The number of NATO member states opposing Ukraine’s future accession to the Alliance is currently the lowest it has ever been, Alyona Getmanchuk, Head of Ukraine’s Mission to NATO, said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.

Getmanchuk noted that there is still no consensus among NATO allies on extending an invitation to Ukraine or granting full membership. However, she said that a historical comparison shows a significant shift in attitudes within the Alliance, with fewer countries now opposing Ukraine’s eventual membership than at any previous point.

She explained that NATO has traditionally included a group of member states resistant to Ukraine’s accession, but that this group has steadily diminished over time. According to Getmanchuk, changes in the positions of key countries such as France and Germany marked an important turning point in this process.

Ukraine formally applied for NATO membership in September 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion earlier that year. 

A reminder that an updated 20-point peace plan agreed upon by Kyiv calls for the United States, NATO, and European partners to provide Ukraine with security guarantees comparable to those outlined in Article 5 of the NATO Treaty.

By Sabina Mammadli