Ukraine says it needs clear sign it will join NATO, not just "open door" message

He made the statement in Prague on July 6 during a joint press conference with Czech President Petr Pavel.

"All that is needed is an invitation. We understand that there may be difficulties with this or that wording in order to get the united support of all partners from the Alliance. Someone is still looking back to Moscow, someone is afraid of Russia," President Zelenskyy said. 

He added that Kyiv "needs motivation and honesty in its relations with NATO." 

"We need a clear signal from NATO that Ukraine will be in the Alliance. Not that the door is open for us - that is not enough. We need a clear signal that Ukraine will be there. The Alliance will gather in any case, but NATO needs a victory. The Alliance has not yet found a common signal regarding Sweden, so Sweden is not yet in NATO. And there is no decision on Swedish membership yet. Ukraine also has no invitation in one form or another. Then what is the success of the Alliance? It seems to me that the world also needs to demonstrate the strength of the Alliance and unity to its nations and Russia," he said. 

Zelenskyy emphasized that there is a recognition that other crucial matters for Ukraine, such as support packages, will be addressed during discussions held alongside the summit.

"This is also very important for us. The summit allows us to agree on additional support for Ukrainian soldiers," the President of Ukraine added.

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. He also 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.

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 6, military expert Dmytro Sniehyrov suggested on Espreso that Ukraine could receive the status of a major non-NATO ally of the United States at the NATO summit. The United States cooperates with Egypt, Israel, Taiwan, Japan, and other countries on this principle.