Ukraine’s foreign minister announced on Monday that NATO has decided to eliminate the requirement for Ukraine to adhere to a Membership Action Plan (MAP) that outlines prerequisites for joining the military alliance. This development, disclosed on the eve of a NATO summit, is expected to expedite Ukraine’s path to becoming a member of the alliance.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba expressed his satisfaction with the long-awaited decision through a tweet, stating, “Following extensive discussions, NATO allies have reached a consensus to remove the MAP from Ukraine’s membership trajectory. I wholeheartedly welcome this decision, which accelerates our journey to NATO.”
NATO has yet to provide an official response to Kuleba’s remarks.
During the NATO leaders’ meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, the focus will be on bridging the divisions surrounding Ukraine’s aspirations for membership. Kyiv desires a definitive invitation to join the alliance once Russia’s aggression against Ukraine concludes and seeks security assurances until that time.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has cited NATO’s expansion toward Russia’s borders over the past two decades as a justification for his decision to deploy tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
In the lead-up to the summit, an increasing number of NATO member states have supported a British proposal that allows Kyiv to bypass the MAP program, which outlines political, economic, and military objectives that candidate countries must fulfil before joining the alliance. This proposal deviates from the requirements imposed on other Eastern European nations before their NATO accession.
By taking this step, NATO can address the demands to go beyond the 2008 summit declaration, which stated that Ukraine would eventually become a member but failed to extend a formal invitation or establish a timetable.
Kuleba reiterated on Twitter that now is the opportune moment to provide clarity regarding Ukraine’s invitation to become a NATO member.
