NATO should decide this year whether to admit Ukraine as a member, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said on Thursday, reinforcing his stance, at a summit of European leaders in Moldova, about the country’s accession to the union.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine more than 15 months ago has added urgency to the country. Apply in September to join NATOan agency is set to hold a summit meeting in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius next month.
The government in Kyiv sees membership as the ultimate guarantee of its security. The United States and other NATO allies, while supporting the government in Kiev with billions of dollars in military aid, have so far been reluctant to take that step because it could bring the alliance into direct conflict. continued with Moscow.
“This year is for decisions,” Mr. Zelensky said at the European Political Community summit at a castle outside the Moldovan capital. He speaks in English. “In the summer in Vilnius at the NATO summit, there should be a clear invitation from the members of Ukraine and there needs to be security guarantees on the way to NATO membership.” his opinion is Reuters report.
Few expected concrete progress at the day-long summit of 47 leaders.
But the meeting – a forum for most European leaders – sought to show Western solidarity despite the Kremlin’s calculation that political and economic fatigue would undermine the support for Ukraine. Russia and its close ally, Belarus, were not invited and Turkey’s newly-elected president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, chose not to attend.
Kaja Kallas, Estonia’s prime minister, said the attendance of so many leaders sent “a signal that multilateralism really works, and we are behind Moldova and we are behind Ukraine.” She added that the West needs to show President Vladimir V. Putin that he cannot wait for Ukraine and the West. “As soon as Putin realizes and Russia realizes they made a mistake in the war in Ukraine, the war will be over.”
Thursday’s meeting had a loose agenda, focusing on issues such as promoting political dialogue and enhancing security, stability and prosperity, according to the forum’s description on a European Union website.
Some analysts have questioned its value, especially due to internal European disagreements over the war. But others argue that, while the European Political Community is new — its first meeting was held in October — it could provide an opportunity for dialogue.
Arriving at the summit, Mr. Zelensky said that ensuring security was also important for Moldova. The war in Ukraine and its economic fallout have reverberated in the Eastern European country, which has received a large number of Ukrainian refugees.
Moldova has faced increasing pressure on its leadership, and this year President Maia Sandu accused Russia of trying to overthrow her government through demonstrations organized by pro-Russian forces.
“I think security is very important, not just for Ukraine. To all the neighbours,” Zelensky told reporters after meeting with Sandu. “It is very important for our future in the EU and NATO. Ukraine took some of the first steps towards membership in the European Union about a decade ago.
Mr Zelensky, who spent the first months after the invasion in Kyiv demonstrating defiance, has traveled extensively in Europe in recent weeks and attended a summit of G7 leaders in Japan last month. In every forum, he emphasized his case for more military and diplomatic support for his country.
However, Ukraine was not the only issue discussed at the summit.
The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan are also expected to meet at the summit in the latest talks centered on the protracted dispute over their shared border and the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Discussions on these issues have also been held outside Washington and Brussels in recent weeks.
Charles Michel, the president of the European Council who led the negotiations, said before the summit that the two leaders had “made some progress and I hope today will be an occasion to confirm common political will to normalize relations between the two countries,” according to a Reuters report.
Andrew Higgins contribution report.
