During the meeting of the NATO countries at the summit in Washington, it is planned to make changes regarding the future of Ukraine's membership.
What is known about changes in the perspective of Ukraine's membership in NATO
According to US Ambassador to NATO Julian Smith, the countries of the Alliance agreed on the need to send Ukraine a political signal about getting closer to membership.
She noted that this signal will be part of the overall aid package.
The decision of the summit will include new formulations regarding Ukraine's aspiration to become a member of NATO. The decision will not be identical to what it sounded like last year, said Julian Smith.
At the same time, the US ambassador to NATO added that the final wording has not yet been agreed upon.
However, she warned that Kyiv should not wait directly for an invitation to NATO.
Ukraine's invitation to membership will not be considered this time, it is unrealistic. Instead, we will focus on providing a support package that will allow us to build a bridge to membership,” explained Julian Smith.
What prevents NATO from giving Ukraine an invitation for membership
The leadership of the Alliance privately called on the Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy not to turn to NATO in 2024 to support Ukraine's membership in the bloc.
One key reason for this delay is the fear of some bloc members, who fear being drawn into a full-scale war with Russia.
Insiders also confirmed that the administrations of Joe Biden and Olaf Scholz are "extremely sceptical" about the prospect of Ukraine's further progress towards full NATO membership this year.
Official Washington is not as worried as Berlin, but both capitals are afraid of Russia's threat to other alliance members.
