Zelensky asks for NATO accession date during HQ visit

President Volodymyr Zelensky visited NATO Headquarters
in Brussels on Dec. 16. He spoke with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
in detail regarding Ukraine’s ties with NATO, including “Ukraine’s
participation in NATO-led missions, involvement in the NATO Response Force and
military exercises”, president.com.ua reported. Zelensky also stated that
Russia’s actions were largely responsible for the rise in popularity in Ukraine
of joining NATO.

Stoltenberg strongly reiterated NATO’s position that
Ukraine’s NATO accession is a matter only for Ukraine and NATO member states,
and that there are no red lines drawn by non-members such as Russia, nato.int
stated.

At the press conference after their meeting,
Stoltenberg responded to a question regarding relations with Russia, stating
that at the NATO Summit in Madrid in 2022, the next long-term Strategic Concept
would be agreed upon, and that the part about relations with Russia would
reflect Russia’s aggression since 2008. He also answered a question regarding
recent German and Dutch blockings of military supplies to Ukraine, saying that
NATO helps in many ways, and that when NATO as an institution does not send something,
this equipment is often provided bilaterally.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba posted on Facebook that
the only damper on the day was that “we were not told the year when Ukraine
will become a member of NATO. Although we asked.” pravda.com reported on Dec.
16.

James Hydzik: Zelensky’s
point is well taken – Russia’s aggression has made Ukraine’s joining NATO more
popular in Ukraine. But this same aggression, at this particular moment, puts
questions of accession on the back burner. Since NATO accession is one of
Ukraine’s stated goals, the question is obviously a recurring topic. But was
this the right moment to bring it up, especially given the extensive
preparations for Madrid 2022 that will take place?