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Diplomats: Ukraine's Immediate Invitation to NATO Unlikely
Above: Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte (L) and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (R) during a press conference on Oct. 3, 2024 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Image copyright: Andriy Zhyhaylo/Contributor/Obozrevatel/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
The Facts
NATO members are highly unlikely to grant Ukraine its wish of immediate invitation to the military alliance at a meeting on Tuesday, diplomats told the Reuters news agency this week.
Having secured permission to use Western-provided long-range weapons on Russian territory after months of lobbying, Ukrainian officials — including Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy — have since turned to the country's aim of joining the military bloc.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The US and Germany have been Ukraine's biggest supporters, but it must be understood that its immediate invitation into NATO is simply not possible while the conflict is ongoing. This would lead to a wider NATO-Russia war that could escalate further still.
Pro-Ukraine narrative
If Ukraine becomes a properly confirmed member of NATO, it will show Russian Pres. Putin that he will be lost from a geopolitical point of view. As Ukrainian Pres. Zelenskyy said, Russia must recognize that Europe has borders and independent states, and everyone has the right to choose their own future.
Pro-Russia narrative
Dragging Ukraine into the NATO military alliance is what started this whole conflict in the first place — particularly NATO's cultivation of Ukrainian nationalism that resulted in a violation of rights against the country's Russian-speaking citizens. Without eliminating the root cause of the conflict, it's impossible to achieve a fair settlement.