Ukraine's 'irreversible' NATO membership mainly symbolic: US report
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US media says that there will be a mention of Ukraine's "irreversible" path into the alliance in the draft language of the NATO joint declaration.
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, speaks during a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at the State Department in Washington. (AP)
Although the United States opposes guaranteeing Kiev entry into the alliance before it has resolved corruption issues, the joint statement expected to come out of the NATO leaders' summit this week will mention that Ukraine is on an "irreversible path" toward membership, according to US officials cited in The Washington Post on Tuesday. The statement will primarily be symbolic.
The media said on Monday that there will be a mention of Ukraine's "irreversible" path into the alliance in the draft language of the NATO joint declaration.
Other NATO countries want to show that Ukraine is moving toward membership, according to The Washington Post. However, other officials admitted that this move—using the phrase "irreversible" in the upcoming joint statement—is more symbolic than substantive.
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According to the report, President Joe Biden has obstructed NATO's attempts to make a more significant gesture about Ukraine's possibilities for membership, primarily because he wants to see the country make concrete efforts to eradicate corruption before being assured of any entry.
According to the article, the US president originally objected to the idea of making Ukraine's entry into NATO permanent.
According to the report, Biden thinks that if corruption in Ukraine is allowed to persist when it joins NATO, it might lead to problems for the entire alliance that may be challenging to resolve.
'Additional steps' required
Just last week, the Telegraph cited a senior official in the US State Department saying that NATO will request "additional steps" from Ukraine to combat corruption before the procession of membership talks.
“As they continue to make those reforms, we want to commend them, we want to talk about additional steps that need to be taken, particularly in the area of anti-corruption," the source said, adding, "It is a priority for many of us around the table."
Ukraine's corruption has been a contentious topic in recent discussions between NATO members on providing the country with a concrete timeline for joining the Western military alliance.
Ukraine has been given a list of reforms by NATO diplomats and officials it is expected to implement before obtaining its membership objectives, stated a US defense official.
Ukraine's stance will be formalized in a written communique that will be signed during the annual NATO summit on July 9.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky aims to obtain NATO membership following the end of the war with Russia, ensuring its protection by the US and Europe in the event of a future Russian invasion.
Zelensky will attend the summit in Washington, potentially receiving an offer from the Western allies to meet the country's air defense system needs and flagship system deliveries from the US. Additionally, Ukraine will likely be assured that it is on a “well-lit bridge” to NATO membership.
