More than sixty political experts have urged NATO to refrain from promising to admit Ukraine to the North Atlantic Alliance at the upcoming summit in Washington from July 9 to 11. According to Politico, they say that Ukraine's accession to NATO could have negative consequences, including the risk of turning the country into an arena for a long-term confrontation between major nuclear powers and promoting the interests of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Experts believe that NATO's rapprochement with promises of future membership for Ukraine could push Moscow to further military action. They argue that Russian challenges can be resolved without involving Ukraine in the alliance.
In addition, experts warn of the possible consequences of Ukraine's accession to NATO, in particular the activation of Article 5 of the Charter, which obliges allies to protect members of the alliance.
The letter was initiated by William Ruger, president of the American Institute for Economic Research, and Stephen Wertheim, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment.
According to the publication, other analysts expressed their disagreement with these positions.
Last week, researchers at RAND Corp. suggested that allies would benefit if they offered Ukraine clear terms for its future NATO membership at the summit.
The Atlantic Council also insists on Ukraine's membership in the alliance, arguing that it would prove to Kyiv that Western support is steadfast.
The Biden administration has refrained from supporting immediate membership for Ukraine, but several senior officials recently expressed their intention to offer a “bridge” to the alliance at a summit in Washington. Officials also said that NATO would offer Ukraine a new “headquarters” to manage military aid. The moves are seen as a signal to both Kyiv’s allies and Moscow, which may be hoping for a change in Western support for the war. The idea of creating a special mission belongs to the administration of President Joe Biden, which is open to giving Ukraine something meaningful beyond full NATO membership.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that he hopes for the Allies' agreement to participate in the coalition to train Ukrainian military personnel.
“Our support is not aimed at drawing NATO into the conflict, but at ensuring that Ukraine can exercise its right to self-defense,” the Secretary General noted.
Earlier, the English edition of the Daily Telegraph reported that, according to US State Department officials, Ukraine will not receive an invitation to join NATO due to corruption problems. The alliance will require Kyiv to take “additional steps” before continuing negotiations on its membership.
According to the publication, the position of NATO allies will be announced in a communiqué after the summit in Washington. A Pentagon representative noted that Ukraine received from NATO diplomats and officials a list of reforms that must be implemented before continuing accession negotiations.
Previously, the US Permanent Representative to NATO, Julian Smith, stated that the alliance does not plan to send Ukraine an invitation to join at the summit in Washington, which will be held from July 9 to 11.
The foreign ministers of 35 NATO partner countries, including Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, have also been invited to the summit.
Ukraine applied for NATO fast-track membership in September 2022, but no clear timeline has been set for its accession. It is expected that the alliance will not extend an invitation to Kyiv for full membership at this year’s summit, offering instead long-term financial assistance and support in the form of air defense systems, including Patriots.
Currently, the Ukrainian delegation, together with the Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, is on a visit to the United States, where they met with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and National Security Advisor to the President Jake Sullivan for consultations on defense, energy, and the upcoming NATO summit.
