Support for the abolition of the NATO Membership Action Plan for Ukraine is gaining more and more support among the members of the Alliance.
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Politico, citing NATO officials, claims that the signal for this was the alleged prior consent of US President Joe Biden, who discussed the issue with Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg a few days ago.
One of Politico’s sources notes that “if the States really want it, then the cancellation of the MAP is real.” The Nordic diplomat stressed that a simplified membership plan for Ukraine could be one of several components of the political package offered to Kyiv at the Vilnius summit, along with “probable bilateral security guarantees.”
At the same time, some countries in southern Europe are against lifting the MAP for Ukraine, fearing that it could potentially escalate the war and complicate the resumption of ties with Moscow in the post-war period.
In addition, there is the problem of Hungary and Turkey, which, according to a NATO official, are “uncomfortable” to bring Ukraine closer to membership in the Alliance.
Despite this, Politico points out that NATO is generally open to canceling the MAP for Ukraine after the end of the war with Russia.
Previously, this publication claimed that the US president discussed this prospect with NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg and concluded that it was expedient after the end of the war. According to two US officials, Biden favors lifting Ukraine’s accession MAP, which requires NATO-recommended military and democratic reforms to be carried out before membership can be decided.
If this requirement is lifted, Ukraine will still have to make some pro-democracy changes, but then the members of the Alliance will be able at any time after that to unanimously approve Ukraine’s entry into NATO.
According to Politico sources, the official announcement of the lifting of the MAP requirement is likely to take place at the July NATO summit in Vilnius.
We are working with our NATO allies on this interim approach to determine if consensus can be reached on this issue. We are seeking to find common ground on how to support NATO’s commitment to Ukraine’s transatlantic integration,” a US official said on condition of anonymity.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.