Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on the German government not to delay Ukraine's accession to NATO at the Vilnius summit, the German television news magazine Tagesthemen reported on July 10.
"I call on the German government not to repeat the mistakes made by Chancellor (Angela) Merkel in 2008, who spoke out clearly against Ukraine's integration into NATO," Kuleba said.
"The result was even more aggressive behavior by Russia – as apparent in Georgia, in the hostility towards the West, and in the current aggression against Ukraine."
At a summit in Bucharest in April 2008, NATO declared that Ukraine would join the Alliance. However, on the insistence of some members like Germany, Kyiv was not invited to the Membership Action Plan, delaying its Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
Kuleba emphasized that Ukraine's entry to NATO is a clear path to peace in Europe, as Russia would not dare to attack a member of the Alliance. While NATO membership prospects cannot stop the ongoing invasion, it can prevent future aggression, he added.
Ukraine applied for a fast-tracked NATO accession in September 2022, amid the ongoing Russian aggression. Its leaders hope for a "clear signal" from the Allies at the upcoming Vilnius summit on July 11-12.
While some members support providing a clear membership pathway for Ukraine, Germany and the U.S. are expected to block hastened entry on account of needed reforms and the ongoing war.
Martin Fornusek
