Biden says he will not ease Ukraine's path to NATO

CNN writes about it.

When US President Joe Biden was asked whether he would ease barriers for Ukraine’s addition to NATO, he flatly said “No. Because they gotta meet the same standards. So I’m not gonna make it easier.”

"I think they've done everything related to demonstrating the ability to coordinate militarily, but there's a whole issue of, is their system secure? Is it non-corrupt? Does it meet all the standards everyone, every other nation in NATO, does? I think it will. I think it can. But it’s not automatic,” he said.

Ukraine's accession to NATO

A meeting of NATO countries will happen in Vilnius in July. Ukraine hopes to receive clear decisions about joining the Alliance. On May 23, Ukraine's ambassador to NATO, Natalia Galibarenko, mentioned that Ukraine is preparing two cooperation packages (political and practical), which will be presented for discussion during the upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius. 

On May 30, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba outlined three key points that define Ukraine's vision for a successful outcome at the NATO summit in Vilnius. "Strengthen Ukraine-NATO institutional ties and assistance. Take a step toward UA membership. Provide security guarantees on Ukraine’s path to NATO." 

On June 10, Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister, Volodymyr Havrylov, expressed his belief that the July NATO summit in Vilnius  will set the algorithm for Ukraine's accession to the Alliance.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that Ukraine will become a NATO member in the future, but due to the ongoing war, specific dates for accession cannot be determined. However, he is confident that during the Vilnius summit, the member countries will work towards finding a solution regarding Ukraine's progress.

On June 15, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for Ukraine's membership in NATO with 425 votes in favor.

On June 16, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on NATO chief Stoltenberg to drop the MAP if Ukraine joins NATO.

• Previously, it was reported that President Biden does not oppose removing the MAP stage for Ukraine's NATO membership, which would simplify the joining process to a certain extent.