Editorial | NATO will soon have to respond to Ukraine’s membership demands

Editorial|Editorial

YThe President of the United States, Joe Biden, announced the other week at the G7 group meeting in Hiroshima that the United States would allow the delivery of American F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. The strategic value of the fighter jets given to Ukraine by different countries for Ukraine is real, but the decision is also moral: the West will not limit its aid to Ukraine.

For Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the promise of fighter jets was a new stage won. The decision angered Ukraine’s supporters, as did previous decisions on heavy arms aid. First help is denied, then it is given anyway.

Now we are putting together a coalition of countries that have to give planes and train pilots for them. Normally training would take years, but this time the war dictates the pace. Ukraine urgently needs other weapon systems and ammunition for its long front line. However, the fighter jet decision opens up the future security guarantees that Ukraine receives from the West. The focus is not only on a counterattack, but on providing Ukraine with permanent security.

The fate of Ukraine is already being considered as part of the grand strategy of European security. However, the starting point is difficult: Europe’s security depends on US weapons and Chinese industry.

Efor the sake of European security, Ukraine must also become a member of NATO. However, the NATO countries still disagree on what kind of perspective Ukraine can be given regarding the time of membership.

At the summit held in Bucharest in 2008, NATO opened the door to NATO for Ukraine and Georgia, but without a timetable. As such, Ukraine could be accepted as a member, because it is a political decision.

The North Atlantic Treaty requires an assessment that the new European member will contribute to the security of the North Atlantic region. Even if the starting point is that NATO should not accept warring countries as members due to Article 5 obligations, in this case too it is a political decision. Russia cannot prevent Ukraine’s membership simply by freezing the conflict.

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Instead of symbolic gestures, Ukraine wants concreteness.

Poland and the Baltic countries would accept Ukraine as a member even under the threat of NATO becoming a party to the war. The United States, France and Germany would not promise membership yet. Hungary opposes Ukraine in everything.

Support for Ukraine is the main topic at the NATO foreign ministers meeting in Oslo this week. NATO cooperation is tailored for Ukraine. Finland and Sweden have to set a model on how to become NATO compatible.

Part of the strengthening of the relationship between Ukraine and NATO is the elevation of the joint committee of NATO and Ukraine to a council. By emphasizing the status, we want to strengthen the political weight of the cooperation. Instead of symbolic gestures, Ukraine wants concrete security guarantees. Ukraine gets that too, and many countries train Ukrainian soldiers and arm its army.

Still, Ukraine should be answered in a convincing and unified way in Vilnius, because the message goes out in all directions. Strong support for Ukraine is strengthening the faith of tired Ukrainians, damming Russia and engaging NATO countries.

Vthe mood of the evening’s summit will be influenced by how Ukraine’s counterattack progresses. It affects the decisions as well, because the leaders of the NATO countries meeting in Vilnius do not want to be just signatories of declarations.

A year ago in Madrid, NATO’s huge transformation began. NATO is not getting ready and especially not sailing towards a safe harbor.

NATO leaves Vilnius again in a new form and hopefully strengthened. Sweden is already preparing for the extension of NATO membership to next year, but we must not give up. Sweden must be made a member in Vilnius.

The editorials are HS’s positions on a current topic. The articles are prepared by HS’s editorial department, and they reflect the magazine principle line.