This evening, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejected the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who asks that his country be invited to NATO from now on, as part of the “victory plan” he drew up against Russia.
“It is important to realize that A country at war cannot, under any circumstances, become a member of NATO. The whole world knows this, There is no disagreement on this matter. And the invitation is usually quickly linked to NATO membership,” said the German Chancellor in an interview with public broadcaster ZDF.
“We described a prospect” of Ukraine’s membership at NATO summits in Vilnius last year and in Washington this summer, Soltz recalled, referring to the Alliance’s commitment to invite Kiev when its countries decide and conditions are ripe. “But I believe that beyond that, there is currently no need to make a new decision,” he added.
None of Zelensky’s demands find unanimous support among NATO members.
Last week, Zelensky presented the EU and NATO with a “victory plan” that would put his country in a position of strength against Russia, before any negotiations begin. This plan provides now receive the invitation to join NATO, since the Alliance is the only real guarantee of security for Kiev, as he himself estimates. It also calls for the lifting of restrictions on the use of Western-supplied weapons systems to Ukraine and the deployment of non-nuclear deterrents on Ukrainian soil.
None of these requests finds unanimous support among NATO members.
In his interview, Solz reiterated that he does not want NATO to become a belligerent in the war that Russia launched against Ukraine in February 2022. He also recalled that he disagrees with the delivery of German Taurus long-range missiles to Ukraine, which could hit targets deep within Russian territory.
Source: AMPE