Politico: NATO still undecided on Ukraine's membership bid as allies convene

NATO allies have still not decided on what exactly will be offered to Ukraine at the Vilnius summit, which takes off today on July 11, Politico reported, citing unnamed officials.

The outlet's sources however believe that the final decision is close: "We have made very good progress and I am 100% optimistic," said a senior NATO official quoted by Politico.

As they have not yet agreed on the final form of the summit communiqué, NATO representatives are to reconvene to discuss the issue today on July 11.

In his July 10 address, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky hinted at his participation at the summit and repeated his earliest request for a "clear signal" on Ukraine's membership bid.

Kyiv applied for a fast-tracked NATO membership in September 2022. The country hopes for a strong signal on its entry into the Alliance at the Vilnius summit on July 11-12. According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Kyiv should be able to skip the Membership Action Plan on its path to accession.

However, even this procedure would still oblige Ukraine to carry out reforms and would not set any time frame for Ukraine's accession. The U.S. and Germany are expected to oppose a decisive invitation for Kyiv at the summit, citing the need for reforms and the ongoing Russian aggression.

Editorial: A smart NATO would seek Ukraine’s accession

Editor’s note: Editorials are articles that present the opinion of the editorial team of the Kyiv Independent. When one looks at the history of the West supporting Ukraine in the fight against Russia, one pattern shines through: missed opportunities. The whole war is ripe with opportunity for NATO…

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