Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has called on his NATO counterparts to extend an invitation to Kyiv during an upcoming meeting in Brussels next week, as revealed in a letter obtained by Reuters on Friday.
Ukraine has intensified its efforts to obtain an invitation to join NATO, as highlighted in a recent letter. This initiative aligns with a “victory plan” presented by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy last month, aimed at ending the conflict that began with Russia’s invasion in 2022.
Zelenskiy expressed to UK-based Sky News that granting Ukraine NATO membership while permitting Russia to retain its currently occupied territories could serve as a potential resolution to conclude the “hot stage” of the ongoing 33-month conflict.
Ukraine acknowledges that its accession to the alliance is contingent upon the conclusion of the ongoing conflict. However, it argues that extending an invitation at this juncture would send a clear message to Russian President Vladimir Putin, signalling that he has failed to realise one of his primary objectives: thwarting Kyiv’s aspirations to join NATO.
In a letter, Sybiha emphasised that the invitation should not be interpreted as an escalation.
“Conversely, he stated that a clear recognition of Ukraine’s impending NATO membership would strip Russia of one of its primary justifications for perpetuating this unwarranted conflict.”
“It is imperative to support the decision to invite Ukraine to join the Alliance, a key outcome anticipated from the NATO Foreign Ministerial Meeting scheduled for December 3-4, 2024.”
Zelenskiy informed Sky News that an official invitation must be extended to the entire nation, emphasising that Ukraine lacks the legal authority to acknowledge any of its territory as belonging to Russia. The prospect of NATO membership may initially extend solely to the regions of Ukraine currently under Kyiv’s control.
“There has been no proposal for us to join NATO concerning any region of Ukraine.” “The reality is that granting NATO membership to the portion of Ukraine we control could effectively halt the intense phase of the conflict,” Zelenskiy stated.
“However, the invitation should be extended to Ukraine within the confines of its internationally recognised borders…” Swift action is essential, allowing Ukraine to reclaim the remaining portion of its territory through diplomatic means.
There is no NATO consensus
At this time, NATO diplomats report a lack of consensus among alliance members regarding the invitation to Ukraine. Any decision of this nature would necessitate the approval of all 32 member nations of NATO.
NATO has announced that Ukraine is set to join the alliance, stating that the country is on an “irreversible” trajectory towards membership. However, the formal invitation has not been extended, nor has a timeline been established.
Olga Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister responsible for NATO relations, acknowledged that Kyiv recognises the current lack of consensus regarding an invitation to join NATO. However, she emphasised that the letter was intended to convey a significant political message.
“We have communicated to our allies that the invitation remains on the table, despite various manipulations and speculations surrounding the issue,” she stated in an interview with Reuters.
In a recent letter, Sybiha contended that extending an invitation would be an appropriate reaction to “Russia’s constant escalation of the war it has unleashed, the latest demonstration of which is the involvement of tens of thousands of North Korean troops and the use of Ukraine as a testing ground for new weapons.”
In recent days, diplomats have indicated that there appears to be no shift in the positions of NATO countries, especially as they anticipate the Ukraine policy from the United States, the leading power in the alliance, under the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.
