NATO Leaders Agree to Fast-Track Ukraine’s Membership, But Conditions Remain

NATO leaders said Tuesday that they would allow Ukraine to join the alliance “when allies agree and conditions are met,” hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky blasted the organization’s failure to set a timetable for his country as “absurd.” “We reaffirmed Ukraine will become a member of NATO and agreed to remove the requirement for a membership action plan,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters, referring to a key step in joining the alliance. “This will change Ukraine’s membership path from a two-step path to a one-step path," he said.

Ukraine has long sought membership in NATO in order to gain protection against its giant neighbor, Russia, which annexed its Crimean Peninsula almost a decade ago and more recently seized vast swaths of land in the east and south. The country also faces the challenge of reforming its security institutions, improving governance, and curbing corruption in order to be accepted into the NATO alliance and the European Union. Although many NATO members have funneled arms and ammunition to Zelensky’s forces, there is no consensus among the 31 allies for admitting Ukraine into NATO’s ranks. Instead, alliance leaders decided to launch a series of multiyear programs to bring Ukraine’s Soviet-era military equipment and doctrines up to modern standards so the country can operate fully with the alliance. On Wednesday, the leaders and Zelenskyy are set to launch a new, upgraded forum for their cooperation: a NATO-Ukraine Council, where all parties can convene crisis talks if their security is threatened.

To fast-track Ukraine’s future membership, the leaders agreed to do away with the MAP, a program often seen as mandatory for aspiring nations to undertake. Pressed by reporters to say what kind of conditions are being placed on Ukraine joining, Stoltenberg said: “We want modern defense and security institutions,” as well as strengthened governance standards and a fight against corruption. The dispute over Ukraine contrasts with a hard-fought agreement to advance Sweden's membership. Turkey's president has agreed to ask his country's parliament to approve Sweden joining NATO, while Hungary is expected to take a similar step.

The outcome is a victory for Biden, who has touted NATO's expansion as an example of how Russia's invasion of Ukraine has backfired on Moscow. Biden is on a five-day trip to Europe, with the NATO summit as its centerpiece. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned against putting Ukraine on a fast track for NATO membership, suggesting it “carries very big risks.” The White House said Tuesday that Zelensky is expected to meet with Biden and other NATO leaders Wednesday. Allies hope to resolve the seesawing negotiations and create a clear plan for the alliance and its support for Ukraine. “Uncertainty is weakness,” Zelensky said on Twitter, adding that “Ukraine also deserves respect.” He added: “And I will openly discuss this at the summit.”