Julianne Smith, the US ambassador to NATO, has stated that joining the military alliance is not a quick process.
Smith said on Wednesday that Ukraine’s entry into NATO is not a “short-term” matter, following Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s call for an immediate invitation. She made the remarks at an online media briefing, reiterating the US-led alliance’s stance on Ukraine’s potential membership: “Ukraine is on an irreversible path of membership and that Ukraine will become a member of the alliance.” However, she acknowledged that this admission is not something that will happen soon.
“We are not at the point right now where the alliance is talking about issuing an invitation in the short term. But as always, we will continue conversations with our friends in Ukraine to talk to them about ways in which they can continue to move closer to this alliance,” she said.
These statements follow Zelensky’s presentation of his long-awaited “victory plan” to the Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday. This plan, which he discussed privately with Kiev’s supporters during recent visits to Western capitals, is a five-point list of requests. It includes a demand for Ukraine’s immediate acceptance into NATO. Kiev also seeks the West to lift restrictions on using foreign-made long-range weapons for attacks on Russia, and to “deploy a comprehensive non-nuclear strategic deterrence package” on Ukrainian territory.