Biden could speed up Ukraine's NATO bid
4 Min Read
The Financial Times has reported that there are "tentative signs" Biden may make Volodymyr Zelensky's NATO dream come true before he leaves office.
-
President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Washington on July 11, 2024. (AP)
The Financial Times reported on Tuesday that US President Joe Biden might speed Ukraine's application to join NATO before his term expires in January. Moscow has asked that Ukraine relinquish its intentions to join the US-led military alliance before any peace talks could begin.
There are "tentative signs" that Biden "might agree to advance the status of Ukraine's NATO membership bid" before leaving office, FT said, citing a Western diplomat informed on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's meetings in Washington last week.
Zelensky flew to the United States to offer his alleged "victory plan" for the confrontation with Russia, which included demands for enhanced weapon supply and financial assistance. The FT said that American officials were unhappy with the concept.
Another major component of the plan that was left unresolved is the subject of US consent to employ Western-supplied weaponry in long-range strikes against Russia.
Kiev has long wanted to join NATO, and it repeated its appeal in September 2022, after four former Ukrainian regions opted to join Russia. Since the war began two years ago, NATO officials have frequently stated that Kiev is on course to become a member, but have not provided a particular date for entrance.
Last month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken underlined NATO's view that Ukraine's route to membership is "irreversible," despite some nations in the alliance like Hungary and Slovakia believing that this would mean war with Russia.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump stated earlier this year that pledging membership to Ukraine was a "mistake" and "really why this war started."
The Russian leadership has maintained that Kiev must abandon its ambitions to join NATO before any peace negotiations can begin.
Zelensky met with ‘tepid reception’ in US: WSJ
During his most recent visit to the United States, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky was unable to get significant American backing in the battle with Russia and failed to impress Washington with his "victory plan," according to the Wall Street Journal.
Zelensky's strategy for winning the war reportedly includes four key clauses: NATO-style Western security guarantees for Ukraine, the continuation of Kiev's incursion into Kursk Region as a territorial bargaining chip, deliveries of "specific" advanced weapons, and global financial support for Ukraine.
Officials in Kiev vowed to make the plan's contents public, but some aspects will be kept hidden.
When Zelensky sought to display his plan in the US, he received a "tepid reception," according to the WSJ.
The publication stated that the administration of US President Joe Biden is "wary of making moves that Moscow could perceive as escalation, expressed skepticism, and said they wanted more details."
While the US offered a new military support package for Kiev, it has yet to "grant Zelensky's main request: permission to strike into Russia with longer-range missiles," according to the WSJ.
The paper also stated that Kiev's failure to secure a large boost in US support "points to a perilous road ahead," especially as Ukrainian lines remain under heavy attack in Donbass. WSJ concluded that without a "major surge" in military help, Ukraine's objective of regaining all of its claimed territory "appears distant."
According to a Bloomberg article published last week, Western diplomats did not believe Zelensky's "victory plan" would result in a breakthrough since it lacked "real surprises" and was basically a "wish list."
Commenting on the strategy, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that it lacks specificity and provides nothing to Kiev's Western allies.
