Not promising Ukraine to join NATO after war is strategic mistake – diplomat Bryza

US diplomat Matthew Bryza shared this opinion with Espreso TV.

He noted, however, that the strategic implications of the Vilnius summit are positive for both Ukraine and NATO.

 "Thinking back to the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, this outcome was not really imaginable. You'll recall how hesitant Ukraine's friends and future allies were to provide any substantial military assistance. Now, there's A – the G7 pledge of substantial continued military assistance. And B – there's the clear commitment by the unified NATO alliance to support Ukraine until it wins against Russia.”

"But having said that and having been at the Bucharest Summit in April 2008, I think it's a disappointment that President Biden was allied with Olaf Scholz, the leader of Germany whose predecessor Angela Merkel blocked the Membership Action Plan for Ukraine and for Georgia at Bucharest, and I think it's not positive that there are reports now that it was indeed the US together with Germany that was not agreeing to engage with other allies on a stronger bit of language that underscores that invitation will be forthcoming for Ukraine once the war is over. That was a strategic mistake that we should have learned from at the Bucharest Summit," the diplomat stressed.

Vilnius summit and Ukraine’s NATO accession 

The NATO summit took place in Vilnius on July 11-12. The meetings were attended by leaders and government officials from various countries. Lithuania hosted the summit for the first time at the LITEXPO congress center. Security was ensured by thousands of military personnel, and the airspace was protected by air defense systems.

Leaders from 31 NATO countries, including US President Joe Biden, participated in the meetings. Delegations from Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Ukraine, and Sweden were also invited. Over 2,400 members from 48 foreign delegations, including heads of state and government officials, were expected to attend. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was also present.

During the summit on July 11, a decision was made regarding Ukraine. The Membership Action Plan stage was canceled, and Ukraine will receive an invitation to join the Alliance once it fulfills the entry requirements and gains the agreement of all NATO allies.

President Zelenskyy expressed his dissatisfaction with the conditions attached to Ukraine's invitation, stating that it seemed like a lack of readiness to invite Ukraine to NATO.

The Alliance agreed on a final communiqué concerning Ukraine, reaffirming the commitment made in 2008 that Ukraine would become a NATO member. The document acknowledged that Ukraine's path to Euro-Atlantic integration has exceeded the requirements of the Membership Action Plan. The member countries recognized Ukraine's progress in operational and political integration with NATO, as well as its significant reform efforts. Progress will be regularly assessed through the Annual National Programme.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, responded to the summit's decision by emphasizing that NATO should not delay Ukraine's accession to the military-political bloc. He also noted that the specific conditions for joining and who should formulate them were not yet known.

President Zelenskyy commented on the summit's results, expressing that if Ukraine receives an invitation to join NATO, it would be an ideal outcome.

On July 12, the G7 countries reached a joint declaration specifying security guarantees for Ukraine. Countries willing to join the agreement will have the opportunity to do so.

Subsequently, President Zelenskyy, who initially criticized the summit's decision, acknowledged that any doubts and ambiguities regarding Ukraine's NATO membership were now removed. He stated that Russia would no longer have a barrier blocking NATO's door.