NATO summit in Vilnius: what decisions should Ukraine expect?

The Ukrainian president will attend the NATO summit. This was a positive sign for Ukrainians, as previously Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would not attend the summit if there were no signals regarding a clear deadline for Ukraine's accession to the alliance.

Additionally, the president said that Ukraine was working intensively with partners on the issue of accession. However, the final decision depends on the partners.

There is exactly one week before the key day of the NATO summit in Vilnius. Therefore, one week before a key moment for our common security in Europe. Working as hard as possible with partners so that our common security in Vilnius wins," Zelenski said in an evening video address on 5 July.

What NATO officials say

US President Joe Biden said Ukraine had to meet the general conditions for joining NATO. Therefore Washington will not simplify the accession process for Ukraine.

A similar opinion was voiced by John Kirby, coordinator of strategic communications at the White House National Security Council. In his words, meeting the alliance's requirements is crucial, even though the USA believes in NATO's "open door" policy.

Of course we believe in NATO's open door policy, but we also recognize that in order to become a NATO member, every country has to meet certain requirements and that there has to be a serious discussion between that country and the North Atlantic Alliance. We want to respect that process," Kirby said.

Vladimir Zelenski met with the Bulgarian president yesterday. The media reported that he criticised the pro-Russian Rumen Radev, who wanted to block arms deliveries to Ukraine. To Radev's statements that "there is no military solution to the war", Zelensky recalled - Ukraine and NATO should have common values.

Would you say, "Putin, please take over Bulgarian territory?" Ukraine and NATO must have common values. You cannot support Russia because Russia wants to destroy NATO and the EU. These are their goals. Do you understand me? - Zelensky said.

Later Zelensky and the prime minister of Bulgaria signed a Joint Declaration on Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic Integration. Bulgaria thus became the 22nd country to document its support for Ukraine.

The Czech president spoke positively about Ukraine's accession to NATO. Zelenskyy also visited the Czech Republic yesterday. According to Petr Pavel, Ukraine and NATO will speak as equals, and the communication between representatives of the alliance and our state will reach a new level.

Ukraine expects a clear signal of membership in the Alliance, as well as security guarantees until the accession.
Today in relation to the Russian Federation we have come to a clear conclusion: the time for mediation is over. The alternative to this process has been President Zelenski's proposed Formula for Peace, which he presented to the G19 leaders. Successful and constructive consultations with representatives of these countries, as well as with those of the Global South in Copenhagen, confirm the interest in the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula", commented the Head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, who is a member of the delegation.

However, it is essential to note the statement by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. He said that on Monday the leaders of NATO countries will approve a multi-year support package for Ukraine that will bring it closer to the alliance.

NATO summit will be held on 11 and 12 July 2023.

Ukraine expects to receive an invitation to join the alliance. According to Oleksiy Reznikov, joining NATO is important because Ukraine already plays the role of the alliance's eastern flank and protects Europe. And the invitation to the Vilnius summit will clarify the prospects of our state to become a NATO member.

However, Stoltenberg believes that until the end of the war, the issue of Ukraine in NATO is not on the agenda. The Polish Senate advocated accelerated Ukraine's accession to NATO following the example of Sweden and Finland.

In a sign of this, the lower house of the Polish parliament passed a resolution supporting Ukraine's European and Euro-Atlantic course.