NATO countries prepare joint decision on security guarantees for Ukraine

Four officials familiar with the talks reported this, according to Politico.

For weeks, these four countries have been discussing the issue with Kyiv, and have also reached out to other allies in NATO, the EU and the G7.

The concept aims to establish an “umbrella” encompassing all nations willing to offer continuous military assistance to Ukraine, albeit with varying specifics and arrangements in each country.

“The effort is part of broader negotiations at NATO and among several groups of nations over how Western allies should display long-term support for Ukraine,” the statement reads.

As per the report, the major powers within the alliance have been collaborating to identify the interim security assurances they can individually offer to Ukraine. However, this viewpoint is not universally shared, as countries situated along NATO's eastern flank advocate for Ukraine to be granted an expedited path to membership, despite the ongoing conflict.

According to officials in Berlin, Paris, London and Brussels, all of whom spoke under the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions. The Western powers’ goal is to unveil their umbrella framework around NATO’s annual summit.

“A discussion is under way; it’s quite advanced, in fact it’s very advanced, and we’re very hopeful that it can be concluded by the end of the summit,” a French official said.

A senior NATO diplomat agreed that there are “frantic last-minute negotiations” occurring at the moment “on what this should look like.” 

Ukraine's path to NATO membership:

Ukraine hopes to receive clear decisions on joining the Alliance in July during the NATO meeting in Vilnius. 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 Membership Action Plan (MAP) if Ukraine joins NATO.

US President Joe Biden expressed support for removing the MAP stage, making the joining process simpler for Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized Ukraine's role in Europe's defense and called on allies to invite the country to NATO.

James Cleverly, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in the UK, assured support for Ukraine's simplified entry into NATO.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine has valid reasons to receive a political invitation to NATO at the Vilnius summit.

On June 28, during a speech in parliament on Constitution Day, President Zelenskyy proposed 5 points of the Ukrainian Doctrine, which stipulates that Ukraine's future lies in the EU and NATO, for discussion.

On June 30, US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith said that NATO member states are close to a consensus on Ukraine's accession to NATO without the MAP.

In an interview with CNN, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that an official invitation to join NATO is extremely important for Ukraine. He appealed to US leader Joe Biden to do so.

On July 4, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda called on NATO allies to offer Ukraine a simplified accession to the Alliance at the Vilnius summit to increase Ukrainians' effectiveness on the battlefield.

On July 5, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and his Polish counterpart Zbigniew Rau expressed hope that Ukraine would be admitted to NATO under an accelerated procedure.

On July 7, Jens Stoltenberg announced that Zelenskyy will attend the first meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council in Vilnius.