At this week’s NATO Summit in Lithuania, leaders found negotiation ups and downs. On one side, Turkey agreed to support Sweden’s bid to join NATO. On the other, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blasted the plan—or lack of it—for allowing Ukraine into NATO, calling the situation “absurd.” Zelenskyy’s attack could renew tensions at the summit.
NATO officials drafted a proposal for Ukraine’s potential membership. U.S. President Joe Biden expressed support for the plan. But Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter that he was not satisfied. He harshly criticized the leaders.
“We value our allies,” Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter. But he added that “Ukraine also deserves respect.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the alliance would “upgrade our political ties” by forming a NATO-Ukraine Council. He also said NATO would not require a “membership action plan” for Ukraine. That would remove another hurdle.
But the gesture didn’t seem to ease Zelenskyy’s concerns.
“It’s unprecedented and absurd when time frame is not set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine’s membership,” Zelenskyy continued. He finished with, “Uncertainty is weakness. And I will openly discuss this at the summit.”
Ever wonder what God thinks of meetings and summits in which leaders attempt to plan world events? The Bible calls such counsels “vain” (a bit like “absurd”!) if they oppose God. (Psalm 2:1-2)
Ukraine received a promise of NATO membership in 2008. But there are sharp divisions over the country’s inclusion.
The Baltic states—including summit host Lithuania—push for a strong show of support and a clear pathway toward membership for Ukraine.
However, the United States and Germany urge caution. President Biden said last week that Ukraine wasn’t ready to join. Members of NATO need to “meet all the qualifications,” the President said. He was referring to long-time concerns about power and corruption in Kyiv.
In addition, some fear that bringing Ukraine into NATO would goad Russia instead of deterring the country’s aggression.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says NATO’s expansion is “one of the reasons that led to the current situation.”
“It looks like the Europeans don’t understand their mistake,” Peskov says. He warns against putting Ukraine on a fast track for NATO membership. “Potentially, it’s very dangerous for the European security,” he threatens.
The dispute over admitting Ukraine is far different from the hard-fought agreement to admit Sweden. The deal to do so came after days of intense meetings. Sweden’s membership will expand the alliance’s strength in Northern Europe.
Turkey had long threatened to block Sweden’s membership. Now President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will ask Turkey’s parliament to approve Sweden. Experts believe Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, another holdout, will do the same.
Finland became the 31st member of the alliance this year. Sweden is on deck to become the 32nd. Both Nordic countries were historically nonaligned—until the war increased fears of Russian aggression.
