Ukrainian Parliament expects Ukraine to receive invitation to NATO with dates at summit in Washington

Ukraine may receive an invitation to join NATO with specific dates at the Alliance's summit in Washington, not in Vilnius.

Source: Yehor Cherniev, Head of the permanent delegation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine at NATO Parliamentary Assembly, reported by European Pravda with reference to Interfax-Ukraine

Quote from Cherniev: "An invitation with specific dates, I think, is not quite realistic at this particular summit [in Vilnius – ed.]. But I hope that at the next one, which will be held in Washington, this will be... the number one issue."

At the same time, Cherniev has noted that it is possible for Ukraine to receive security guarantees at the NATO Summit in Vilnius. 

Quote from Cherniev: "Security guarantees are realistic, prospects are realistic when security conditions will allow for it. This wording will be enough for us, plus security guarantees until we become full members of NATO. I think this is the maximum we can get at the Vilnius summit today."

More details: According to Cherniev, Ukraine wants to hear "absolutely clear assurances" in Vilnius that the Alliance is waiting for it after the war.

"We are also asking for a schedule for membership after the war. We are putting pressure, we are demanding it at different levels and in different formats, spelling out... those specific words or phrases that we want to see in the final communiqué of the summit. And these points are also there. I hope that we will get them as a result of this summit," Chernev said.

The NATO Summit in Washington will be held in 2024.

Background: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that there is "no point in discussing when and how Ukraine can become a member of the Alliance" if it does not win the war "as a sovereign independent nation in Europe".

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on NATO to make a "positive political decision" on Kyiv's application for membership at the July summit in Vilnius.

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