While Britain supports Kiev’s rapid accession, some members have publicly disagreed
James Cleverly addresses the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, Britain, June 22, 2023 © AP / Henry Nicholls
The UK is “very, very supportive” of fast-tracking Ukraine’s application to join NATO, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Wednesday. Cleverly claimed that the entire bloc shares his position, but French officials are more non-committal, and the US and Hungary appear outright opposed to the idea.
“We have seen Ukraine evolve and evolve quickly,” Cleverly told the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, a meeting of Kiev’s Western donors.
“The reform of their armed forces is happening while engaged in conflict and I think the UK’s position is that it would be very, very supportive” if the alliance dropped its requirement that Kiev fulfils a ‘membership action plan’ before admittance, Cleverly continued.
“The Ukrainians have demonstrated their commitment to military reform required for NATO membership through their actions on the battlefield, and I think all NATO allies recognize that,” he added.
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Since the conflict with Russia began last February, Ukraine has received tens of billions of dollars worth of NATO weapons, while the US-led bloc trains its troops, provides intelligence support, and reportedly helps plan its attacks. Although Ukrainian Defense Minister Aleksey Reznikov has said that his country is a “de-facto” member of NATO, the bloc’s position remains unchanged from 2008, when it declared that Ukraine “will become a member” at an unspecified point in the future.
According to the 2008 declaration, Ukraine’s membership depends on it fulfilling a membership action plan. However, this requirement was waived for Sweden and Finland when they applied last year, and French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna told the conference that Ukraine could be granted the same shortcut.
“Perhaps we won’t require the membership action plan mechanism, perhaps not,” she said. “I say perhaps not…we are a long way from 2008. Time has passed, the situation is quite different.”
No decision will be made, however, without Washignton’s consent. Last week, US President Joe Biden stated that the country would have to meet the same standards as everyone else and that “we are not going to make it easy.”
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Hungary is even more resolute in its opposition. When NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg proclaimed in April that every member of the bloc agreed that “Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban simply replied “What?!” Orban has repeatedly accused his fellow NATO leaders of looking for an excuse to enter the conflict in Ukraine, but declared earlier this month that “Hungary is not at war with Russia, and will not be for as long as this government is in place.”
