Ukraine’s Zelensky felt it was absurd of NATO to not share a joining timeframe but NATO bigwigs worry that if Ukraine becomes a member then all of NATO suddenly is at war with Russia. (Image: Reuters)
Biden’s supposed lack of diplomacy irked Zelensky before the joint communique of NATO – which gave no timeframe for Ukraine’s membership – could.
The joint communique of the NATO summit did not please Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. After the first day of the NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, the Ukrainian President Zelensky expected a timeframe within which Ukraine would become a part of NATO but that timeframe was not given.
“A window of opportunity is being left to bargain Ukraine’s membership in Nato in negotiations with Russia. Uncertainty is weakness,” Zelensky said, pointing out that it is ‘absurd’ if no time frame for membership were given. “I travelled here today with belief in a decision, with belief in partners, with belief in a strong NATO, a NATO which does not doubt, which does not lose time,” Zelensky said, adding that every soldier, children and mother in Ukraine wants it to be a part of NATO.
There is a small likelihood that US President Joe Biden’s minor diplomatic gaffe may have led to Zelensky’s displeasure.
A report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) pointed out that US President Joe Biden, during a photo-op with NATO’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, commented that the members are in agreement regarding the wording of the ‘joint communique’. “We agree on the language that we’ve proposed,” Biden said, according to ABC. The ABC in its report said that Biden quickly realised that he should not be too direct and then attempted to resolve the situation by pointing to Stoltenberg and saying “that you proposed” referring to the joint communique.
“We will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance when allies agree and conditions are met,” a statement said, hoping to assuage Zelensky’s concerns. “Ukraine’s future is in NATO,” the joint communique said with the assurance to shorten the joining time.
France attempted to calm down the slightly annoyed Ukraine by promising long-range missiles and a coalition of 11 nations announced they will start training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 jets from next month. France will most likely send 50 Scalp missiles.
Germany said it would provide more tanks, Patriot missile defences and armour vehicles worth another 700 million euros ($772 million), news agency AFP said.
How Türkiye Became Key
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson met for several hours and Kristersson exited the meeting being the relieved party as Erdogan backed Sweden’s bid to join NATO.
“I’m glad to announce … that President Erdogan has agreed to forward the accession protocol for Sweden to the grand national assembly as soon as possible, and work closely with the assembly to ensure ratification,” NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg was quoted as saying by news agency ABC.
The report also revealed that Erdogan wanted Sweden to crack down on hardliners, without directly referring to the Kurdish outfits that Türkiye claims to have been operating from Swedish soil.
Erdogan was stalling Sweden’s membership for more than a year and the mood in Vilnius exhibited that it was Erdogan who allowed Sweden to become a part of the military coalition and that NATO only had a smaller, subordinate role in increasing its number of members from 30 to 31.
This also shows that even if not in the same scale as the US, Türkiye could be holding similar sway like Germany, France and the UK.
