Ukraine tops Biden’s agenda at key NATO meeting with alliance set to expand

Zelenskyy says ‘Ukraine will be in NATO’ in address ahead of summit

It is clear that Ukraine deserves to be in NATO and the country needs a signal that it will eventually become part of the alliance, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his daily address on Monday night.

While Kyiv realizes that it won’t be able to join while the war is going on, NATO’s eastern flank depends on Ukraine so there is an understanding that the country will eventually become part of NATO.

“We are working to make the algorithm for gaining membership as clear and fast as possible,” he added.

Photo: Biden greeted at Lithuanian Presidential Palace

President Biden and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda during an official welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Vilnius on Tuesday.

‘Important day for Ukraine’: Zelenskyy’s chief of staff

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, is preparing for what he said will be an “important day for Ukraine” as NATO leaders assemble in Vilnius for the first day of the summit.

“Today, we are working with our allies on security architecture issues,” Yermak said in a post on Telegram, as Kyiv is waiting to see what the alliance will muster up in terms of a clear pathway to membership for Ukraine.

Biden says he’s ‘not at all’ surprised by Turkey’s reversal on Sweden

VILNIUS—President Biden said he was “not at all” surprised by Turkey’s decision on Monday to clear the path for Sweden’s entry into the NATO alliance, a sudden shift as leaders gathered for the start of the summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. 

“I’ll talk about it later,” Biden promised as he sat down to meet with the Lithuanian president.

Asked what made Turkey agree to a deal, Biden smiled and said, “What do you think?” but did not elaborate.

President Erdogan of Turkey had earlier linked Sweden’s NATO bid to Turkey joining the European Union, setting up an apparent obstacle before it quickly dissolved.

NATO will send Ukraine a ‘positive signal’ over NATO pathway, White House says

VILNIUS — The White House said President Biden and trans-Atlantic leaders would send “a united, positive signal” to Ukraine over its path to future NATO membership this week, but doused hopes that Kyiv could be fast-tracked into the defensive alliance.

“Bringing Ukraine into the alliance now in Vilnius would bring NATO into war with Russia. Also, Ukraine has further steps to take along its reform path, but allies will send a united, positive signal on Ukraine’s path to future membership in the alliance,” Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security advisor, told reporters, adding that leaders were unlikely to reach an agreement on a timeline for the process.

“There’s consensus, including from Ukraine, that the question is not Ukraine in NATO now, here in Vilnius. The question is, what’s the pathway towards Ukraine’s future membership,” he said. “I think we can come to a good understanding about that, here in Vilnius, among all of the allies, and with Ukraine.”

Ukraine’s push for security guarantees has been a source of tension leading up to the talks, with Biden warning over the weekend that its assent would pit NATO’s members, including the United States, against Russia in the ongoing conflict. 

Biden welcomes Turkey’s decision to back Sweden’s NATO bid

Biden welcomed Turkey’s decision to back Sweden’s NATO bid after a year of opposition to the Scandinavian country’s application.

“I welcome the statement issued by Türkiye, Sweden and the NATO Secretary General this evening,” Biden said in a statement. “I stand ready to work with President Erdogan and Türkiye on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area.”

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that Turkey agreed to support Sweden’s bid to join the NATO military alliance after holding talks between Erdoğan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson the evening before the NATO summit was scheduled to begin.

Turkey agrees to back Sweden’s NATO bid

Turkey agreed to support Sweden’s bid to join the NATO military alliance after a year of opposition, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday, calling the moment a “historic step.”

Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan agreed to send the accession protocol to the Turkish parliament for approval as soon as possible, Stoltenberg said, noting that Erdoğan would “ensure ratification.”

“Sweden will become a full member of the alliance,” Stoltenberg said.

Read the full story here.

NATO leaders gather in Lithuania’s capital

President Joe Biden and other NATO leaders will gather in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, this morning for a key summit that could alter the course of the war in Ukraine, as well as the future of the alliance itself.

NATO leaders will be joining the summit with a renewed collaborative spirit after Turkey dropped its longheld objections to Sweden joining the alliance.

The war in Ukraine will be at the top of the agenda for the summit, with alliance leaders expected to revise plans for dealing with Russian aggression.