Politico, citing unnamed US officials and NATO sources reports that at least seven NATO countries, including the US and Germany, are opposing Ukraine’s invitation to the Alliance at the moment. It says Hungary, Slovakia, Belgium, Slovenia, and Spain are also resisting.
Serhiy Nykyforov, a spokesperson for the President of Ukraine, portrays this information as inaccurate, saying, “These rumors benefit those who seek to create a false impression that Ukraine’s membership lacks broad support among NATO members,” as reported by RBС-Ukraine.
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Nykyforov emphasized that the majority of NATO member states support the idea of inviting Ukraine to the Alliance, with advocacy continuing to work on those who haven’t yet supported accession. He highlighted that Ukraine’s invitation to NATO is the first step in President Zelensky’s Victory Plan and is key to achieving a just and lasting peace.
Politico reported that with President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Victory Plan being predicated on securing an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO the resistance shown by these key members presents a significant hurdle to successful implementation of the plan.
Officials who spoke with Politico stressed that neither the US nor Germany rule out Ukraine’s potential NATO membership when the time is right sometime in the future.
Politico commented that a number of NATO members are concerned about being drawn into a war with Russia.
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Hungary and Slovakia also oppose Ukraine’s NATO invitation, but for different reasons, as their populist leaders seem largely pro-Kremlin. For instance, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán attempted to block EU funding for military aid to Ukraine and withdrew from NATO’s lethal aid program for Kyiv. In a social media post, Orbán called Zelensky’s Victory Plan “more than horrifying.”
Other countries are also hesitant to actively support Ukraine’s NATO bid, choosing to remain in the background. According to one NATO official, countries like Belgium, Slovenia, and Spain are “hiding behind” the US and Germany. They avoid taking a clear stance now, but as the idea of Ukraine joining NATO gets closer to reality, they may start opposing it more publicly.
