“I don't expect the Atlantic Alliance to invite” Ukraine to the next North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit, scheduled for July 9-11 in Washington, the ambassador said Tuesday. American to NATO Julianne Smith.
She was speaking at a press briefing ahead of a meeting of Alliance defense ministers on Wednesday and Thursday in Brussels.
According to her, the Washington summit in July should signal that “the Alliance continues to move closer to Ukraine” and takes “concrete measures” to promote future membership of this country, currently at war with Russia.
Membership impossible during the conflict
During their summit last year in Vilnius, NATO countries reaffirmed that Ukraine was intended to join them, but without setting a timetable.
Volodymyr Zelensky then denounced the hesitation of the member countries of the Alliance to discuss a date, judging that “indecision” was “a weakness”.
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“We have worked very hard since the Vilnius summit last year to bring out a certain number of measures in order to continue to help our friends in Ukraine with the necessary reforms” before their future integration into the Atlantic Alliance, underlined the American ambassador.
All NATO member countries recognize that Ukraine's membership in the Alliance is not possible as long as the war lasts.
It would in fact be synonymous with conflict with Russia, to the extent that Article 5 of the Alliance stipulates that an attack against one member is an attack against all members.