Biden might agree to advance Ukraine’s NATO bid before end of presidency - FT
Joe Biden may agree to upgrade the status of Ukraine's application for NATO membership before the end of his presidency in January.
This is reported by the Financial Times, Censor.NET informs.
A Western official with knowledge of Zelenskyy's talks in Washington said there are preliminary indications that Biden may agree to advance the status of Ukraine's NATO membership application before his term ends in January.
According to the newspaper, Volodymyr Zelenskyy left Washington without key achievements on two important issues: US permission to use Western weapons for long-range strikes on Russian territory and progress on Ukraine's NATO membership.
The Biden administration is opposed to both issues, fearing that this could encourage Russia to escalate the war, potentially involving the United States and other allies.
For Ukraine, the most important thing is to get security guarantees
According to the FT, American officials were not impressed with Zelenskyy's "Victory Plan," which includes a request for a huge amount of Western weapons.
An adviser who helped draft the document told the newspaper that Zelenskyy had no choice but to reiterate his insistence on NATO membership - anything else would be seen as a retreat on Western security guarantees.
"For us, the most important thing is security guarantees. Real guarantees. Otherwise, this will not end the war, but will only provoke a new one," the Ukrainian official said.
"Land" for membership (in NATO - ed.) is the only real strategy, and everyone knows it. No one is saying it out loud... but it is the only strategy on the table," said one senior Western official.
Risks of Ukraine's Accession to NATO
The FT writes that NATO membership remains a key goal for Ukraine, but few of the Alliance's 32 members believe it is possible without a full, lasting ceasefire and a clear line on the map defining which part of Ukraine would be covered by the mutual defense clause.
Some propose a West German model, i.e., the accession of a part of the country to NATO. But even this, journalists emphasize, would require a large-scale deployment of forces by the United States and its partners, which is unlikely to appeal to any presidential administration, Democratic or Republican.
Any option other than full membership is unlikely to stop the Kremlin's military aggression.
"Even if we receive an invitation to join NATO, it means nothing. It is a political decision," the Ukrainian official added.
