NATO is uncertain on Ukraine’s rapid accession due to US and German position on reforms in country - media
NATO is undecided about Ukraine’s rapid accession due to the position of the United States and Germany. The Allies have not yet reached a consensus on whether the reforms outlined in the updated Annual National Program are conditions for Ukraine’s accession to NATO or whether they are a tool to bring Kyiv closer to the Alliance.
This is reported by Euractiv with reference to two NATO diplomats, Censor.NET reports citing UP.
According to one of them, this means that when the conditions for implementing the reforms that NATO will agree with Ukraine are met, it will be possible to discuss the issue of membership.
Other interlocutors of the publication said that the reform program does not contain a list of conditions, but is a "roadmap" or "tool" to track progress and inform the leaders of the Alliance.
At the same time, the description of reform areas tends to leave NATO members room for maneuver, as they are not bound to a strict assessment of progress, but rather express their political opinion, the newspaper said.
With fewer details to verify that conditions are met, there is a risk that reforms will never be sufficient, making it harder to give Ukraine the green light to join.
"Ultimately, it (the issue) remains a political decision," said a third NATO diplomat, citing delays in Turkey and Hungary in ratifying Sweden's application for membership due to national interests.
Another NATO diplomat noted that even if the war with Russia ends tomorrow and Ukraine fulfills all the conditions listed in the reform plan, NATO members will still have to accept the invitation, which could be a difficult process.
It is expected that on Wednesday, November 29, NATO and Ukraine will sign a list of reforms that Kyiv must implement for future NATO membership.
According to the newspaper, this step should give Kyiv an impetus to reform the armed forces and other security sectors, as well as provide a checklist that NATO members can track. The document will not be public, the article says.
The annual program of conditions process is less rigorous than the NATO Membership Action Plan, which any candidate for NATO membership must adhere to, the four NATO diplomats said.
Unlike previous reform plans, Ukraine's annual plan is much shorter and less detailed - 10 pages instead of 300, a list of priority areas rather than a checklist - which made it very difficult to demonstrate Ukraine's progress, the source said.
Thus, it will be easier for Ukraine to demonstrate achievements by the NATO summit in Washington in the summer of 2024.
Among the many reforms are ensuring civilian control of the armed forces, developing a national defense and security strategy, working on interoperability of the armed forces with NATO troops, and anti-corruption reforms (changes to the judicial system, declaration of assets of politically exposed persons - ed.)
According to Euractiv, the protection of national minorities is also included in the reform plan, along with human rights and democracy considerations, which Hungary regularly puts forward as a condition for building closer ties between NATO, the European Union, and Ukraine.
