NATO leaders disappointed Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky on Tuesday July 11, by not providing a definitive timeline for Ukraine’s membership in the alliance. Instead, they stated that an invitation to join NATO would be extended only when certain conditions are fulfilled.
NATO leaders on Tuesday dashed Ukrainian leader Volodymr Zelensky’s hopes for a clear timeline to join the alliance, saying they would offer an invite to become a member only when “conditions are met”.At a summit in Vilnius of the 31 NATO nations, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg insisted the alliance had never used “stronger language” to back Ukraine in its bitter fight to defeat the Russian invasion.

NATO leaders pledged that “Ukraine’s future is in NATO” and shortened the eventual process Kyiv would have to go through to enter the alliance.

But the failure to go much beyond a 2008 vow on future membership appeared a bitter blow to Zelensky, who was in Vilnius to address an admiring crowd of Lithuanian supporters in a packed city square ahead of his meetings with the NATO leaders.

As Zelensky was speaking, Moscow upped the pressure on the NATO leaders meeting in Vilnius, claiming that its forces had made 1.5 kilometers of progress (more than a mile) across a two kilometer wide section of the eastern front.

If confirmed, this would bring them closer to the rail hub of Lyman, a town in the Donbas region of the east of the country. It was captured by Russian forces last year only to be liberated by Ukraine in its October 2022 counteroffensive.

Mindful of Zelensky’s disappointment over his hopes for a membership timetable, Western officials stressed that there would be a broader package of support proposals designed to give Ukraine a military edge over the invader.

Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the G7 group of major industrialized economies would issue a declaration on long-term support to kick in once “peace is obtained”. This is expected to be announced on Wednesday after the NATO summit ends.

In the nearer term, Berlin pledged another 700 million euros ($771 million) in military assistance to Kyiv.

The new aid includes two Patriot missile system launchers, another 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles and 25 Leopard 1 tanks.

President Emmanuel Macron also said France was joining Britain in supplying long-range SCALP or Storm Shadow cruise missiles to allow Ukraine to strike Russian targets deep behind the frontline.

And Denmark and the Netherlands said an 11-nation coalition will start training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets next month, with a new training center to be set up in Romania.

While eastern European nations had pushed for an explicit timetable to allow Kyiv to join, the US and Germany are reluctant to go beyond an earlier vow that it will become a member one day.

Miroslava Salazar with AFP