NATO’s Commitment to Ukraine’s Future Membership

On Thursday, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte addressed the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels, reaffirming that Ukraine will eventually become a member of NATO. However, he refrained from specifying a timeline for Ukraine’s accession, emphasizing that the focus should now be on determining the timeline of this process.

Rutte mentioned that he would be speaking with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy later that day to provide an update on the “considerable progress” that has been made since a high-level decision was reached in July. At that time, NATO’s 32 member nations collectively stated that Ukraine was on an “irreversible” path to membership during a significant summit held in Washington. Nevertheless, they have yet to pinpoint an exact date for Ukraine’s entry into the alliance.

Currently in Brussels, President Zelenskyy is advocating for his so-called “victory plan” to European leaders. This plan outlines five essential points that Zelenskyy believes are crucial for Ukraine to initiate peace negotiations, with the foremost point being Ukraine’s membership in NATO as the country continues to defend itself against Russian aggression. Zelenskyy has expressed that granting Ukraine NATO membership would serve as a “testament of (allies’) determination” to support the nation in its struggle.

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Despite Ukraine’s urgent call for membership, Western allies have shown caution about admitting the war-torn country into the alliance while hostilities persist. Such a move could trigger NATO’s collective security provisions, potentially dragging its member countries into direct conflict with Russia.

‘In this for the long haul’

During his address, Rutte reiterated NATO’s unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s security, assuring Kyiv that the alliance is dedicated to ensuring its victory. “We are in this, if necessary, for the long haul,” he stated.

While the NATO chief acknowledged Zelenskyy’s “victory plan,” he was careful not to fully endorse it, noting that the plan involves many aspects and numerous political and military considerations that need to be discussed further with Ukrainian officials. “We need to understand what is behind it, to see what we can do and what we cannot do,” he remarked.

For the time being, Rutte stressed that the priority should be on assisting Ukraine in reclaiming more of its territory and strengthening its position for any future negotiations aimed at achieving peace.

In a post on X, Zelenskyy indicated that an “immediate” invitation for Ukraine to join NATO would be “decisive,” asserting that Russia has exploited Ukraine’s current lack of membership. “An invitation now with membership later will have no political cost,” he added.

Rutte was in Brussels to chair a meeting of NATO defense ministers, which included representatives from NATO’s partner nations in Asia and Oceania. Additionally, he praised Australia for its recent announcement to send US-made M1A1 tanks to support Kyiv, calling it “all good news.”

Later on Thursday, both Zelenskyy and Rutte are scheduled to participate in a joint press conference to discuss these pressing matters further.