President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Joe Biden Photo: Associated Press
Inviting Ukraine to join NATO would be the best legacy Joe Biden could leave at the end of his presidential term, Ukraine ‘ s Ambassador to NATO Natalia Galibarenko told Reuters.
“We believe that extending an invitation at this stage would be an important political signal,” the ambassador said. “We sincerely believe that this can be part of the legacy of the current US administration.”
The US presidential election is causing concern in Kyiv because of uncertainty over the future of support for the largest military aid provider. Democratic candidate Kamala Harris stated that she would continue to support Ukraine, but did not specify the extent of this assistance. On the other hand, Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, has repeatedly expressed his intention to end the war, although he has not clarified how he plans to do so.
Ukraine’s membership in NATO will provide the country with security guarantees, in particular through Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which means that an attack on one member is considered an attack on the entire organisation.
Ambassador Galibarenko noted that joining NATO would eliminate one of the key sources of tension between Kyiv and Moscow. Russia has been using Ukraine’s possible accession to the alliance as a pretext for war, while Ukraine has been stressing that NATO membership would be a reliable defence against future Russian aggression.
“If we announce that we have received an invitation, it will be a final verdict for the Russian Federation. They will no longer be able to use this argument to raise rates,” Galibarenko said.
NATO has acknowledged that Ukraine’s path to the alliance is irreversible, but noted that membership is not possible during a time of war and has not given a clear timetable for accession. Most NATO members, including the United States, are not yet ready to issue a formal invitation. A senior US administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said last week that Washington’s position remained unchanged.
