NATO summit to disappoint Ukrainians, says intelligence chief Budanov
Kyrylo Budanov, the Head of the Ukrainian military’s Main Intelligence Directorate, has said that the upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius will likely prove disappointing for Ukrainians, UK newspaper the Times reported on July 5.
Budanov said that Ukraine will not receive an invitation to join the alliance, which will cause significant disappointment throughout Ukrainian society.
“It is quite difficult for me to acknowledge the NATO Summit for a very simple reason: the expectations of our society will not be met,” Budanov said.
“The summit will consist of some announcements, but nothing more. I’m confident that there will be pre-written speeches (delivered): I have seen the drafts.”
The NATO Summit is scheduled to take place in Vilnius on July 11-12. Ukraine has hoped to receive a clear signal of readiness to join the alliance during the event.
However, Politico, a U.S. news website, reported that Western allies have yet to reach a consensus on the security guarantees requested by Ukraine.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that Western countries plan to offer Ukraine a security model similar to that provided to Israel, which would facilitate the transfer of weapons and advanced technologies to Kyiv as a pathway to NATO membership.
Earlier reports from news outlet Axios indicated that U.S. President Joe Biden supports the plan put forth by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, which declares that Ukraine will not be required to fulfill a Membership Action Plan (MAP) to join the alliance.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has emphasized that his attending the NATO Summit in Vilnius would serve no purpose if Ukraine does not receive a clear signal regarding its membership aspirations.
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