NATO Divided Over Ukraine Membership Amid Ongoing War

TDT | Manama
Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

Ukraine has declared its unwavering stance on pursuing NATO membership as essential for its future security, even as the alliance postponed Kyiv's call for an immediate invitation during a foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels.

In a letter addressed to NATO ministers, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stressed that granting an invitation would eliminate a key justification used by Russia for its ongoing war against Ukraine. However, despite NATO reaffirming that Ukraine’s membership path is "irreversible," the 32-member alliance remains divided on the timeline for issuing an invitation.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis reported "no progress" following discussions, while Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky emphasized the need for an invitation, acknowledging that consensus has yet to be reached.

Meanwhile, Hungary, a NATO member with close ties to Russia, reiterated its opposition. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stated that a "country at war" could not contribute to the alliance’s security.

As diplomatic deliberations continue, some analysts suggest Ukraine may receive security assurances from individual Western nations instead of NATO as a whole, further highlighting the complexities of the membership debate.