Polish and Ukrainian presidents discussed NATO MAP in Warsaw

Polish president Andrzej Duda stated at a news
conference on May 3 that he discussed with visiting President of Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelensky Ukraine’s path to NATO membership. Ukrinform quotes Duda as
saying that Poland and “other friends from this part of Europe” support
Ukraine’s joining the alliance.

The topic will be raised at the NATO summit in
Brussels starting on June 10. Duda stated that members “will discuss a formal
definition of the path which Ukraine should follow towards membership in the
North Atlantic Alliance – a roadmap to this membership.”

Zelensky stated at the press conference that at the
summit, Ukraine would find out which member countries supported Ukraine’s being
given a Membership Action Plan (MAP).

While in Warsaw, Zelensky also signed a five-nation
joint declaration on solidarity including in relation to security affairs. The
declaration was signed by the presidents of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland
and Ukraine.

James Hydzik: Receiving the long-awaited NATO MAP would be seen as a crowning
achievement for the Zelensky administration in many quarters. The recent
Russian aggression would serve as an argument against those who are ambivalent,
while the strongly pro-Russian voter would not be supporting Zelensky in the
first place. However, given the carrot by Duda, Zelensky faces the stick, in
the form of the May 5-6 visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who
will certainly discuss any possible MAP in terms of fighting corruption.