References to Ukraine’s accession disappeared from the final communiqué of the NATO summit: what is known

Ahead of the NATO summit, which will be held on June 24-26 in The Hague, a draft final declaration was published, which has already caused a wave of criticism. The document does not mention the prospect of Ukraine joining the Alliance, and there are no specific commitments regarding long-term security support for Kyiv.

This was reported by Bloomberg.

It is noted that the draft focuses exclusively on the allies’ defense spending. This time, the document was drawn up in the format of a single-page text – unlike last year’s large-scale and detailed declaration. It, in particular, mentioned the promise of $40 billion in aid to Ukraine and clear signals about its future membership.

The current version recognizes Russia as a threat to Euro-Atlantic security, but does not explicitly call it an aggressor against Ukraine. Also completely missing is the mention of China, which was previously mentioned as a factor contributing to the Russian invasion.

Despite this, the allies are considering the possibility of including contributions to Ukraine’s defense in the new spending target. This is the 5% of GDP on defense, which the United States is demanding.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will focus on reaching a consensus on this issue during the summit.

The concise format of the declaration is due to the desire to avoid public conflicts, in particular with the participation of former US President Donald Trump, who could again influence the course of the Alliance.

Despite the dissatisfaction of a number of member states, the final text of the declaration may still change before official adoption.

By the way, NATO members plan to consider military aid to Ukraine as an allocation of funds for their own defense.

Previously, NATO Secretary General Rutte reported that all 32 member countries of the Alliance have confirmed that Ukraine’s accession to the Alliance is irreversible, although they did not specify the final timeframe for this process.

It should be noted that French and British officials are preparing a “plan B” in case the US refuses to support Ukraine.

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