US Official Announces NATO’s Plan to Introduce ‘Bridge to Membership’ for Ukraine
The US and its NATO allies will announce a suite of actions to provide ‘military, political, and financial support for Ukraine,’ as stated by a Biden official.
NATO is set to reveal a plan during its annual summit in Washington next week to help prepare Ukraine for potential membership in the alliance. However, this plan will not guarantee immediate membership but will focus on establishing the necessary infrastructure for Ukraine to contribute fully to NATO if it does eventually join.
The official emphasized that NATO allies will affirm Ukraine’s future in NATO and will unveil new initiatives to enhance military, political, and financial support for Ukraine. This initiative aims to aid Ukraine in assuming military responsibilities within NATO from day one of its potential membership.
Despite Ukraine’s longstanding desire to join NATO, approval for membership is subject to a unanimous vote from all member states and compliance with specific governance and territorial integrity standards. Russian President Vladimir Putin has actively opposed Ukraine’s NATO membership, aiming to demilitarize Ukraine and secure its neutrality in international affairs.
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President Joe Biden has previously expressed that Ukraine’s NATO membership is a matter of when, not if. Consequently, the United States and its allies will work towards solidifying Ukraine’s military connections to NATO through bilateral security agreements. These agreements will focus on training coordination, equipment sharing, logistics, and overall support development, with a political emphasis on defense, institution building, and interoperability with NATO, alongside financial commitments.
Establishing a robust framework to support Ukraine’s security needs has become a priority for the Biden administration and its allies, amid concerns that a potential second Trump administration could disrupt weapon supplies to Ukraine. The official highlighted the substantial increase in NATO nations meeting defense spending targets since the beginning of the Biden administration, signifying a positive trend.
NATO’s 75th annual summit is scheduled for July 9.
