As of Wednesday, the United States and other allies have offered Ukraine ongoing security assurances and a promise of eventual entry into the group. The conversation took place at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, with the goal of bolstering Ukraine’s defenses against Russia in the war that began February of last year.
G7 leaders, alongside President Joe Biden, broadcasted a weighty show of support for Ukraine.
The US President did go on to say that the war would need to be over before Ukraine would be allowed to join, but that NATO would step up and assist with security measures to help keep the country safe as it weathers the storm.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky began his statement at the summit with criticism of NATO, saying it was “absurd” that they had not been given a timeline for Ukraine’s membership to NATO. While a timeline has still not been made available, other than to say that it would not take place until the war between Ukraine and Russia had ended, NATO did agree to do away with a Membership Action Plan in regards Ukraines entrance to the group.
Biden went on to say, “Mr. Zelensky and I talked about the kind of guarantees we could make in the meantime… And so today, the long-term commitments we’re making are backed up by the notion that in the meantime, we’re going to provide security to Ukraine for its needs and against any aggression that may occur.”
NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg made his own statement regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claims that this war would tear NATO apart, saying “The reality is that NATO’s more united now than for many, many years because we face the threat of the consequences of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. That has united the alliance. It has made us even more determined.”