Washington, Berlin slow-walking Ukraine’s bid for NATO invitation

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is running into a problem with his victory plan based on Ukraine getting an invitation to join NATO — some of the alliance’s key members aren’t keen on that happening,  reported from Politico.

Germany and the US are among the major powers slow-walking Zelenskyy’s call for an immediate invitation to join NATO, according to four US and NATO officials and diplomats who were granted anonymity to share the latest internal discussions.

In his victory plan, Zelenskyy asked for an immediate invitation, but recognized that actually joining the alliance would only be possible after the war with Russia ends.

Zelenskyy insisted this week that it’s "fundamental” for Ukraine "to receive an invitation during the war.”

But key alliance members are worried about getting ensnared in a war with Russia.

In an interview with POLITICO, outgoing US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith underlined the American position. "The alliance has not, to date, reached the point where it is prepared to offer membership or an invitation to Ukraine,” she said.

Germany and the US aren’t the only blockers.

Hungary and Slovakia are also resisting, but they come from a different starting point. Their current populist leaders take a generally pro-Kremlin line, with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán blocking EU funds to arm Ukraine and quitting NATO’s program for sending lethal aid to Kyiv.

There are also other countries not keen on moving rapidly on Kyiv’s request, but content to hide in the shadows.

"Countries like Belgium, Slovenia or Spain are hiding behind the US and Germany. They are reluctant,” said one of the NATO officials. A second official said that countries "support it in the abstract but once it gets closer to materializing” they will start to balk at the idea more publicly.

That puts them at odds with countries like the Baltics and Poland, which are more enthusiastic.

www.anews.az