Terms of Ukraine's accession to NATO will not be determined in midst of war, but demand for reforms remains
NATO leaders do not intend to create an analogue of the Membership Action Plan for Ukraine through Annual National Programmes, as stated in the final declaration, but the criteria for implementation will include political criteria, i.e. those related to reforms.
Source: European Pravda
Details: As European Pravda has found out, there is a growing understanding among NATO members that the reference to the Annual National Programme (ANP) in the final declaration of the Vilnius Summit was a mistake, and NATO does not intend to create a "new MAP" for Ukraine.
"For Ukrainians, the MAP became a symbol of an endless process, so it was abandoned," explained a NATO diplomat.
In addition, the Allies agreed that the exact list of criteria for accession would not be determined during the hot phase of the war, but they insist that they will include "political" criteria, i.e. those related to reforms, despite the public statements of the Ukrainian authorities.
"Despite Zelenskyy's numerous statements that the only condition for Ukraine's accession to NATO is the end of the war, allies in Western Europe and the United States do not think so," the article says. At the same time, these criteria can be avoided if Ukraine starts implementing reforms now, and this list is well known to Ukraine.
The decision of the Vilnius Summit contains quite positive wording regarding Ukraine. In particular, the NATO summit agreed to remove the requirement for a Membership Action Plan on Ukraine's path to the Alliance. At the same time, the Allies made it clear that they would invite Ukraine to join NATO "when the conditions are met".
The summit decision does not contain a list of conditions that Ukraine must fulfil.
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