US, Germany and Hungary oppose giving Ukraine a political roadmap to NATO membership - FT

The United States, Germany and Hungary are rejecting proposals by Poland and the Baltic states to provide Kyiv with a roadmap to NATO membership at the alliance's July summit, reflecting divisions in the West over Kyiv's postwar status.

Source. This was reported by the Financial Times with reference to four negotiators.

In March, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg presented a document to member states with "practical and political" proposals for Kyiv, such as a new declaration on Ukraine's relations with NATO, which would build on the 2008 statement that Ukraine would at some point become a member of the alliance.

Diplomats involved in this week's talks told the FT that foreign ministers were engaged in a vigorous debate in Brussels about what exactly should be offered to Ukraine.

All the allies agree that Ukraine's membership in NATO cannot be seriously discussed while the country is at war.

But two people who attended this week's meetings told the FT that there is growing support for offering Ukraine a "political path" to membership at the Vilnius summit, which would strengthen ties between NATO and Kyiv. However, according to these sources, the United States, as well as Germany and Hungary, are opposed to this proposal.

Washington is concerned that deepening Kyiv's ties with the alliance in times of war could play into Putin's narrative of a battle between Russia and NATO and lead to an escalation of the conflict, including the potential deployment of nuclear weapons.

Instead, the United States is calling on allies to focus on military, financial, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine to help it withstand and ultimately repel Russian aggression.

According to U.S. officials, the top priority at the Vilnius summit should be practical assistance to Ukraine, such as the supply of ammunition, and discussions about possible post-war political relations are only a distraction from that goal.

"We have several weeks of intense negotiations ahead to close these differences and reach a political outcome," one Western official told the FT.

Background. As reported, Lithuania has adopted a resolution inviting Ukraine to join NATO. The document says that the country will sign the membership protocols and start the ratification process when conditions allow.