BRUSSELS — NATO is set to offer financial support to Kyiv, but the group remains hesitant regarding the appeal of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a forthright invitation to join the NATO alliance as a countermeasure to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On Wednesday, NATO leader Mark Rutte announced plans to achieve a €40 billion military aid goal for Ukraine. However, he was more ambiguous about the timeline for Ukraine’s entry into the alliance.
This uncertainty is not what Zelenskyy had hoped for as he prepares for a trip to Brussels on Thursday. His intention is to promote his ‘Victory Plan’, a strategy aimed at concluding the conflict through securing a NATO membership invitation and continued weapon supplies to push Russia into negotiations.
Zelenskyy’s schedule includes meetings with EU leaders and NATO defense ministers, including the U.S. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin.
Rutte was non-specific about Zelenskyy’s proposal, stating that the plan has several elements that necessitate ongoing, confidential discussions between NATO nations and Ukraine. Rutte only reiterated NATO’s commitment to an “irreversible” path to membership for Ukraine.
Although NATO firmly supports Kyiv, Rutte emphasised that this commitment doesn’t automatically translate into full endorsement of Zelenskyy’s plan due to its complexity.
While NATO has consistently indicated that Ukraine will be granted membership, an official invitation has yet to be extended. This hesitation arises from concerns among member nations about the potential risk of being drawn into a conflict with nuclear-capable Russia.
While Ukraine’s membership was put on hold, NATO pledged to meet a financial target established by ex-Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. The aim is to maintain a consistent supply of funds and weaponry to Ukraine amidst the political uncertainties surrounding the U.S. presidential election.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Rutte announced that NATO allies have committed €20.9 billion in military assistance to Ukraine for the first half of 2024, and are expected to fulfil their commitments for the rest of the year.
A NATO hub in Wiesbaden, Germany, intended for delivering military assistance to Ukraine, is scheduled to be operational next month.
While Western allies remain uncertain about authorising Ukraine to use donated weapons against targets within Russia and when to allow Ukraine into NATO, support for Moscow from Russian allies is escalating. Reports from Kyiv suggest North Korean troops have been deployed to the conflict, though this remains unconfirmed by NATO.
As authoritarian nations like China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran align, stability in both the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions is being undermined, according to Rutte.
In response to these emerging global challenges to democratic nations, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand will participate in the NATO defense ministers’ meeting on Thursday and Friday – a first in NATO history.
