Poland and UK advocate Ukraine’s accelerated accession to NATO

This is reported by the Voice of America.

The leaders mentioned that Ukraine's entry into NATO may happen faster because the Ukrainian army already has equipment from the alliance.

Moreover, the ministers believe that Ukraine should be treated similarly to Finland, which recently joined NATO. Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau expressed that Poland's stance is to bring Ukraine closer to the alliance by aligning its military and political structures with NATO standards.

Cleverly highlighted that the Ukrainian military has significant experience using NATO equipment, doctrine, and tactics. This experience should help speed up the process of joining the alliance.

He also pointed out that Sweden and Finland had a shorter application process and Finland eventually joined NATO because they were recognized as capable military powers. Cleverly suggested considering their example when discussing the appropriate process for Ukraine. He also emphasized the significant improvement in Ukraine's military capabilities over the past 18 months.

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. 

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

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

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.

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.