2023-07-14 21:00:00
“I don’t want you to lose the war, but NATO membership…” How countries look at Ukraine
Ukrainian President Zelensky (Photo: AP/Aflo)
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(Yoichi Masuzoe: Scholar of International Politics)
Prime Minister Kishida participated in the NATO Summit held in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, from July 11th as the chair of the G7, but it ended on the 12th. The results of that discussion were mixed, partly because of the differences in the expectations of the member countries, and the fact that Ukraine did not get what it wanted.
No time frame for Ukraine’s accession
The NATO joint statement announced at the meeting on the 11th stated that it “reaffirmed the commitments made at the summit meeting in Bucharest in 2008,” which promised Ukraine’s membership, and confirmed that the accession procedure would be shortened.
In April 2008, the NATO Summit was held in Bucharest, and Croatia and Albania were formally invited to join the NATO. As a result, both countries did not participate in the MAP (Membership Action Plan), which is a de facto candidate country.
However, the joint statement included the phrase that the two countries “will become members in the future.” The “commitment at the Bucharest summit” mentioned in the Vilnius joint statement refers to that language.
However, there was no specific timing for Ukraine’s expected accession, saying only that “if member states agree and the conditions are met, we will invite Ukraine.” Of course, President Zelensky expressed his dissatisfaction, but he has also decided to remove the aforementioned MAP from the requirements, which will speed up the accession procedure.
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