NATO to boost support for Ukraine holding off on accession date

Brussels/Washington, July 5 (EFE).— NATO leaders will endorse a more active role for the alliance in coordinating international aid and military training for Ukraine, but without setting a date for the war-torn country’s membership.

Support for Ukraine will top the agenda at the meeting of allied leaders from July 9 to 11 in Washington, D.C., which will also commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Washington Treaty, NATO’s founding document.

Allied countries, through their defense ministers at the June meeting in Brussels, have agreed that NATO will lead in coordinating international military aid to help Ukraine defend against the Russian invasion.

NATO Leading Support to Ukraine

Leaders will need to endorse this defense ministers’ plan, which involves NATO taking charge of US facilities in Wiesbaden, Germany, and logistical nodes in the eastern part of the allied nations. This effort will be under the command of Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), US General Christopher G. Cavoli.

Cavoli was already leading the Security Assistance Group for Ukraine (SAG-U) in Wiesbaden, in his parallel role as the US commander in Europe.

NATO will oversee the training of Ukrainian armed forces at allied training facilities, support Ukraine through planning and coordination of donations, manage equipment transfer and repair, and support the long-term development of Ukraine’s armed forces, according to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

The goal is not to replace the U.S. at the helm of the contact group of more than 50 countries promoting military aid donations to Ukraine, but to ensure the effective execution and organization of that aid.

This step by NATO in coordinating military assistance to Ukraine is seen as a way to ensure that allies remain by Kyiv’s side regardless of the outcome of the next U.S. presidential election.

A victory by former President Donald Trump (2017-2021) could jeopardize aid to Ukraine. For the allies, it is crucial that this assistance is protected from political fluctuations, especially after President Biden’s weak performance in the June 27 debate, which has caused a crisis within the Democratic Party with calls for a replacement.

Financial Commitment

In line with wanting to give Ukraine more long-term predictability, Stoltenberg has proposed a financial commitment of at least 40 billion euros a year for military aid to Ukraine, an issue that allies have not yet finalized before the summit.

The Norwegian politician admitted that the US Congress’s delay in approving the latest major aid package to Ukraine, worth more than $60 billion, could be avoided in the future.

He emphasized the need to quickly provide Ukraine with air defenses and ammunition.

An “Irreversible” Path to NATO

The final communiqué of the summit is not expected to include a date for Ukraine’s entry into NATO. However, diplomatic sources indicate progress will be made compared to the language used at last year’s meeting in Vilnius, when the 2008 commitment for Ukraine to become a NATO member was reaffirmed.

In the Vilnius final communiqué, countries explicitly stated that Ukraine’s future is in NATO. This time, Washington is pushing for the document to describe Ukraine’s bid to join the organization as “irreversible,” sources familiar with the discussions told EFE, emphasizing that negotiations are still ongoing.

With this wording, NATO would take a further step in its support for Kyiv, sending a clear message of intent for Ukraine to join, though only when all 32 allies agree and conditions are met.

The goal is to avoid a scenario like last year’s in Vilnius, when on the first day of the summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to social media to call the lack of a timetable for accession “absurd,” leading to last-minute negotiations on the final communiqué text.

Now, the allies aim to present a united front and avoid any rift that could be interpreted as a lack of commitment to Kyiv. EFE

rja-bpm-ssk