US, Germany seek to water down commitments on Ukraine’s NATO accession / The New Voice of Ukraine

U.S. and German officials have suggested that NATO offer Ukraine a "bridge" to membership instead of an "irreversible path" at the upcoming summit in Washington, CNN reported on June 19, citing sources familiar with the discussions.

“At the [Washington] Summit, we’ll be taking concrete steps to bring Ukraine closer to NATO and ensure that there’s a bridge to membership, a bridge that’s strong and well-lit,” said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at a NATO meeting in May.

According to a senior U.S. official, members of the Biden administration believe that the word “irreversible” may not be well-received within the Alliance, particularly by Hungary. Another official noted that some NATO members are also hesitant to use the term “irreversible” because Ukraine has not yet implemented all the necessary democratic and anti-corruption reforms for a full membership.

One official, from a country more aggressively pushing for Ukraine’s NATO membership, said allies are directly lobbying the White House to make Ukraine’s path to the Alliance “as clear as possible.”

“We instinctively feel a new path should be laid out; fast tracking [Ukraine’s accession] should be looked at,” the source said.

In April, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that “the work they are currently doing puts Ukraine on an irreversible path to NATO membership, and when the time comes, Ukraine will be able to join immediately.”

On June 12, Stoltenberg stated that he expects a “clear formula” on Ukraine’s membership from NATO members at the Washington summit. At the same time, he acknowledged that inviting Ukraine requires consensus among all member countries, which has not yet been reached.