VILNIUS, Lithuania — After rallying transatlantic allies in a message of support for Ukraine in its fight for new security guarantees, President Joe Biden now faces critics who say the far-off promise of his path to future NATO membership it will do little to avert the threat from Russia. short-term aggression
The military alliance will meet here in the Lithuanian capital this week to discuss plans to strengthen its defenses against Russia, with the war in Ukraine high on the agenda.
kyiv argues that it will not be safe from Moscow until it becomes a member of NATO, an alliance whose fundamental commitment is the mutual defense of all its members. Talks over an invitation to the Ukraine alliance, or even a path, were closely watched before the summit and throughout Tuesday as the 31 leaders tried to forge a consensus on the issue.
In a preview of the summit, Biden’s national security adviser told reporters that the leaders would “send a united and positive signal about Ukraine’s path to future alliance membership,” though they were unlikely to offer a schedule for the process.
“Every few months, the question is asked: ‘Can the West hold together? Can NATO stick together, transatlantic unity stick together?’” Jake Sullivan said. “Every time allies come together, that question is asked again, and every time allies come together and they answer forcefully and vehemently, ‘Yes, we can.’”
Sullivan also rejected the idea that cracks had appeared within the alliance over Washington’s decision to provide Ukraine with cluster bombs, saying Britain was simply doing its “legal obligation” when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that ” advises against” Ukraine’s use of the controversial munitions. .
The summit in Vilnius would “very disappointing” Russian President Vladimir Putin, who “has been counting on the West breaking up, NATO breaking up, the transatlantic alliance breaking up,” Sullivan said.
The summit opened with Biden touting the entry of two new members into the alliance after Turkey agreed to back Sweden in a sudden change. However, the allies could not escape scrutiny over their assessment of a road to Ukraine.
Asked point-blank after an interview with NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell on Tuesday whether the word “invitation” would appear in the final summit communiqué, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Ukraine would see a “message positive and strong about Ukraine and the way forward”. for membership.”
Soon after, Biden, who is due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday before delivering a speech at Vilnius University, appeared to take steps to defuse criticism from those who felt the alliance was not going far enough.
after Zelensky lashed out On the “vague wording on ‘conditions'” in a draft statement defense alliance leaders were negotiating Tuesday, Biden said in a carefully worded statement that Washington supports language on “Ukraine’s future to join NATO”.
Still, Biden warned that any break from NATO could reward Putin, who insisted he would not “break” the alliance.
Kyiv has pushed the 31 leaders of the countries that make up the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for clearer security guarantees, even as Biden over the weekend ruled out a path to membership as the war continues and said reforms policies and security that must be followed make any vote “premature.”
But bridging the gap between Biden’s comments and NATO allies who publicly urged a path for Ukraine took an urgent step Tuesday.
“What Biden needed here was NATO unity,” said Michael Allen, who was a senior director at the National Security Council under President George W. Bush. “He wanted to project to the Russians that there is absolutely no light between us.”
In the allies’ formal statement, NATO promised that it “will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance when the allies agree and the conditions are met.”
“Ukraine’s future lies in NATO,” the document said.
Not everyone was satisfied with that wording.
“They failed to find the right mix of words to give Ukraine comfort that it would eventually become a NATO member and also signal caution as Western Europeans and the United States feel they are provoking Russia,” Allen said.
Bret Bruen, an aide to the National Security Council in the Obama administration, said NATO risks prolonging the conflict without tangible progress on Ukraine’s demand for membership.
“This summit was supposed to send a strong message to a weak Putin,” Bruen said. “Instead, it has failed diplomatically, failing to meet the demands of Ukrainians and many of our allies for a clear and concrete path to membership.
“Dangling a distant prospect in front of kyiv is both insufficient and insulting,” he added, arguing that the result offers Moscow an incentive to continue the war.
“It tells Moscow that as long as they prolong this conflict and don’t negotiate a resolution, Ukraine can be kept out of NATO,” Bruen said.
