Ukrainian President's Plea Exposes Europe's Dividedness

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at a key European Union summit in Moldova seeking “security guarantees” for his country and immediately found disagreement between France and Germany – the bloc’s two leading members – on the issue.

European leaders have shown their steadfastness and support for Ukraine as they gathered for the second summit of the European Political Community (EPC) in Moldova – a former Soviet state just a few kilometres from the Ukrainian border.

But even as more than 40 leaders pledged solidarity with Ukraine at the summit, the difficulty of maintaining that unity was evident.

Before and during the summit, leaders carefully hammered out their positions on an increasingly contentious issue: What kind of security guarantees the Western alliance could provide to Kiev to ensure that if Russian troops were pushed back, they would not dare return.

Against this backdrop, the Ukrainian leader made a surprise appearance at the EPC Summit, held at the Mimi Castle in Bulboaca, near the Moldovan capital Chisinau.

Two things are needed

Under clear blue skies, Mr. Zelensky made two straightforward demands: One was a “clear invitation” to join NATO, and Two was “security guarantees on Ukraine’s path to NATO membership.”

As the conflict with Russia has intensified, Mr. Zelensky has been quick to make his plea, hoping that Ukraine will reap the rewards at the upcoming NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital. NATO agreed in 2008 that Ukraine would eventually become a member of the alliance, but it has never made a firm promise or a specific timeline.

“This year is a year of decisions,” Mr. Zelensky said in English. “In the summer in Vilnius at the NATO Summit, there must be a clear invitation to Ukraine and security guarantees on the path to Ukraine’s NATO membership.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the European Political Community (EPC) Summit, in Moldova, June 1, 2023. Photo: World Crunch

Although Mr. Zelensky is unlikely to get everything he wants at the summit of the 31 NATO leaders in July, both issues — which Mr. Zelensky said were “essential” for Ukraine — are being hotly debated right now.

And it also reflects the increasingly clear divide between Germany and France: While Paris pushes for a specific path, Berlin urges caution.

French President Emmanuel Macron on May 31 called on allies to provide Kiev with “tangible and credible” security guarantees – a shift in France’s stance.

“I am in favor of giving tangible and credible security guarantees for two reasons: Ukraine is defending Europe, and it is providing security guarantees to Europe,” Mr Macron said.

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was more hesitant on June 1, saying this could be a question for the post-war period, but refused to provide any details.

“One thing is clear: We are now contributing to support Ukraine,” Scholz said. “We have always said that there must also be guarantees for a peaceful order after the war. Germany will contribute to this.”

Clear criteria

However, both Mr Scholz and Mr Macron confirmed that the allies were actively discussing the topic and coordinating their approaches ahead of NATO's most important summit of the year.

Speaking in Oslo on June 1, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was also careful when mentioning this sensitive topic.

“When the war is over, we need to make sure that history does not repeat itself… We need to have frameworks in place to ensure Ukraine’s security at that time,” Mr. Stoltenberg said.

The lack of clarity reflects the complexity of determining what kind of security guarantees to offer a non-NATO country, let alone providing them. Europe may also be waiting for a signal from the US.

A US-Israeli security model could be an option worth considering, including priority arms transfers and long-term support commitments.

However, Mr. Scholz, speaking at the end of the EPC Summit, patiently emphasized that the “immediate task” was to help Ukraine defend itself. And the head of the German government ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine at this time.

“There are clear criteria for NATO membership. For example, a member of the alliance cannot have a border conflict,” Scholz said – an apparent reference to Ukraine.

Ukraine believes that NATO should provide Ukraine with a list of steps it needs to take to become a member of the alliance. Photo: LRT

Mr Scholz’s comments were widely interpreted as meaning that Ukraine cannot join NATO as long as it is at war with Russia. But Ukrainian officials want NATO leaders to make a concrete political gesture that Kiev is at least on the path to membership.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 20th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on June 4, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Volodymyr Havrylov said that Ukraine wants to join NATO immediately after defeating Russia.

“We would like to hear a plan or a roadmap, or a list of actions that will be taken by both sides – NATO and Ukraine – to achieve membership in a very short period of time,” Havrylov said. Although the Ukrainian official acknowledged that this would not be possible while the war was still going on, he stressed: “We would like to understand that after our victory, the process of our joining the alliance will be very, very short.”

NATO should provide Ukraine with a list of steps to take “with clear confirmation that Ukraine is a legitimate candidate” for NATO membership, Mr. Havrylov said.

In the meantime, Ukraine will negotiate a “system of security guarantees” with NATO during the transition period before membership. Such guarantees should include a commitment by NATO countries to help Ukraine win the war; support for the Ukrainian economy; and support for continued sanctions and other forms of pressure on Russia, he said .

Minh Duc (According to Politico, France24)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/loi-cau-xin-cua-tong-thong-ukraine-phoi-bay-su-chia-re-cua-chau-au-a611204.html