Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has hit out at NATO, saying it was an “unreasonable” delay to not set a date for when his country would be invited to join the NATO military alliance.
In a tweet, Zelensky said in a harsh language, “There seems to be virtually no preparation for inviting Ukraine to the alliance or giving it membership.” BBC news
NATO agreed to admit Ukraine to NATO membership at the Bucharest summit in 2008. But NATO has said nothing about when and how that will happen.
“Now before the start of the conference in Vilnius, we are getting indications that they are discussing some statements in this regard without the presence of Ukraine,” Zelensky said.
He also said, ‘This statement is about the invitation to become a member of NATO, not about the membership of Ukraine. Uncertainty is a sign of weakness. And I will speak openly about it at the summit.’
But Zelensky also knows that NATO cannot formally invite Ukraine to membership during the war. Because doing so would put the NATO alliance at risk of direct war with Russia. Because Article Five of the NATO Charter stipulates that if any member country of the alliance is attacked, all member countries must come forward to defend that country.
Leaders of the NATO military alliance have gathered to attend an important summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. The meeting is expected to determine the course of the war in Ukraine and the future of the Western alliance.