Ukraine is on an "irreversible" path to NATO membership, US and European officials said Wednesday, July 10, advancing assurances from allies that it will be allowed to join the Western military coalition after its war with Russia ends.
In another boost for Ukraine, the US, the Netherlands and Denmark announced Wednesday that the first NATO-provided F-16s were on their way to Ukraine and would be flying this summer following months of preparation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted his appreciation on the effort to strengthen his air force, coming soon after Ukraine saw one of the deadliest strikes of the war.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Czech President Petr Pavel, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo all used the word "irreversible" to describe the way forward for Ukraine as NATO leaders gathered for a summit in Washington.
Stubb and Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs both said the language was expected in the final summit declaration from all 32 NATO allies. "I think it’s very important to give a message to the Kremlin from here – that Ukraine’s path and bridge towards NATO membership is now irreversible," Stubb told reporters.
Zelenskyy, fearing his country would otherwise be left to fight a stronger Russia indefinitely, has battled for at least a firm guarantee from NATO that Ukraine can join the military alliance.
The US and some other countries have opposed membership for Ukraine during the conflict with Russia to avoid an escalation of tensions that could lead to a larger war. They also have stressed that Ukraine must take significant steps to address corruption as well as other systemic reforms.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has long bitterly opposed neighboring Ukraine’s fight to join the Western alliance, declaring it an encroachment on Russia’s security and interests.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg underlined that Ukraine will not join the alliance’s ranks immediately. But he insisted that must happen after the war is over to ensure that Russia never attacks Ukraine again. "I strongly believe that when the fighting stops, we need to ensure that Ukraine has the capabilities to deter future aggression from Russia, and they need security guarantees," Stoltenberg said.
President Joe Biden, who later appeared on stage with Stoltenberg, reaffirmed US support for Ukraine but also more broadly the importance of NATO. He reiterated that since he took office, the number of allies spending at least 2% of their gross domestic product on defense has increased from nine to 23 and that the number of battle groups has doubled on NATO's eastern flank. "We can and will defend every inch of NATO territory, and we will do it together," Biden said.