Not Hungary: the countries opposed to Ukraine’s rapid accession to NATO are named

NATO and Ukraine are expected to sign a to-do list for Kiev on Wednesday, November 29, on reforms for future NATO membership, despite disagreements over the process and reluctance from the US and Germany. This was reported by Euractiv, citing its own sources.

However, members are yet to agree on whether the reforms set out in the updated Annual National Program are conditions for entry, or whether they are just a tool to bring Kyiv closer to the Alliance.

According to one of the diplomats of the alliance, this means that when the conditions for the implementation of reforms agreed by NATO in Ukraine are met, the issue of membership can be discussed.

Another publication source noted that the reform program does not contain a list of conditions, it is an indicator for monitoring progress and informing the Alliance.

As the publication notes, indicating the areas of reform, as a rule, leaves room for maneuver when NATO does not evaluate the development, but only provides a political assessment. Therefore, there is a risk that the reforms will not be sufficient, making it more difficult for Kyiv to join NATO.

Another NATO official said that even if the war with Russia ended tomorrow and Kiev met all the conditions specified in the reform plan, member countries would still have to agree to the invitation, and would not it will be easy.

It was noted that the reforms, the list of which NATO and Ukraine will sign on November 29, should be carried out on the path to joining the Alliance. The list will serve as an impetus for the reform of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and other areas of security, as well as provide a checklist that NATO members can follow. This document will not be public.

At the same time, NATO diplomats noted that the implementation process of the Annual National Program is not as severe as the NATO Membership Action Plan.

Unlike previous reform plans, Ukraine’s annual plan is shorter – 10 pages instead of 300, listing priority areas instead of a checklist, making it very difficult to show Ukraine’s progress, a source familiar with the situation said. Thus, it will be easier for Ukraine to demonstrate the achievements of the Washington NATO summit in the summer of 2024.

Let us remind you that the day before it was reported that the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense introduced new NATO standards.

Earlier, former US Ambassador to NATO and former US Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker said that Ukraine’s imminent accession to NATO would allow for a quick end to the war.