Kyiv Delivers Ultimatum on NATO Membership

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A historical misstep that failed to provide Ukraine with effective security guarantees is now being revisited. Deputy Head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, Andriy Sybiha, emphasized the consequences of such mistakes, referencing the 1994 Budapest Memorandum. This agreement, meant to safeguard Ukraine after it relinquished its nuclear arsenal, ultimately proved ineffective.

“Failing to provide Ukraine with concrete, reliable security assurances in the 1990s was a severe strategic error, one that Moscow has capitalized on. This mistake needs to be rectified,” Sybiha argued in a statement.

Sybiha’s remarks precede a two-day NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels this week, where member states will deliberate over continued support for Ukraine amidst the ongoing conflict. Despite Kyiv’s persistent calls for closer ties, including NATO membership, no major progress toward extending a formal invitation to Ukraine is expected during the summit, according to reports.

Frustration is mounting in Kyiv, with officials becoming increasingly skeptical about any near-term prospects of joining the military alliance. Adding to the uncertainty, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has floated the idea of postponing Ukraine’s NATO membership for up to 20 years as part of a potential peace settlement with Russia.

Reflecting on what some perceive as a missed opportunity, Ukraine’s Justice Minister Olga Stefanishyna criticized the Biden administration’s handling of Ukraine’s NATO aspirations. “The window of opportunity for a NATO invitation was not seized,” Stefanishyna remarked last week.

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