Ukraine ‘wants swift NATO membership to thwart Russian aggression and protect Baltic allies’
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Ukraine’s membership of NATO would put an end to the territorial encroachments of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, Andriy Yermak, Head of the President’s Office, wrote on Telegram on June 17.
Russia’s objective in invading Ukraine may have been to occupy the entire Ukraine, with the intention of getting Ukrainians to engage in conflict against NATO member countries, Yermak wrote.
He said out Russia’s territorial ambitions extend to NATO member countries, including the Baltic states, which the enemy considers “part of the former USSR.”
He highlighted the similarity between Russian propaganda rhetoric towards Ukraine and that towards the Baltic countries, noting that this dangerous narrative has persisted since 2014.
The Head of the Presidential Office emphasized that Ukraine’s membership in NATO would put an end to the Kremlin’s territorial ambitions, and cited Finland as an example. He mentioned that Russia had also threatened Finland with weapons, but Helsinki joined NATO this year.
Yermak said that if the world hesitates regarding Ukraine’s membership in the alliance, Russia will continue to consider Ukraine as a target for occupation in order to strengthen its resources for a confrontation with NATO, which would then become increasingly likely.
“We all need to think ten steps ahead today. And in this geopolitical chessboard, one swift and important decision can strengthen security for decades,” Yermak said.
In a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Kyiv on April 20, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine’s membership of the alliance faces “no barriers to making political decisions.”
Stoltenberg acknowledged that all countries agree on Kyiv’s eventual inclusion in the bloc, but the current focus remains on Ukraine’s ongoing struggle against Russia’s full-scale war.
Ukraine is anticipating specific proposals and decisions on security guarantees from NATO at the upcoming Vilnius Summit in July 2023.
However, Politico reported on June 8 that, five weeks prior to the summit, Western allies have yet to reach a unified position on the security guarantees requested by Ukraine.
Zelenskyy stated that he sees no point in participating in the NATO summit in Vilnius if Ukraine does not receive a clear signal regarding its membership.
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