Frightened Germany prepares to block Ukraine's bid for NATO membership

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on 31 NATO member states to take concrete steps towards Ukraine's membership. Photo: AFP

Germany is pushing to delay Ukraine's entry into NATO because of fears that this move could lead the alliance to war with Russia.

A source in the alliance said that Berlin will take advantage of the annual NATO summit in Vilnius , Lithuania, this week to urge others to focus on security guarantees rather than membership offers to help Ukraine defend itself in the event of a lack of entry.

“Berlin is reserved about the prospect of offering immediate membership,” a source told The Telegraph. «He needs the process and time to develop safeguards to essentially block the membership.»

“Berlin does not want Vladimir Putin to potentially test Article 5.”

According to NATO Article 5, any member state attacked by an external aggressor has the right to demand military intervention from the rest of the allies.

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Echoing Germany's fears, Joe Biden seems to have said he wants to avoid a situation where «we» are all at war, we are at war with Russia.

Mr Biden added that Ukraine «not ready» for NATO membership and that it «will take some time».

His national security adviser Jake Sullivan said: “We are not looking to start a world war. Three. Ukraine will not join NATO after this summit.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has gradually stepped up his campaign for Ukraine to join NATO since Russia's invasion last year, seeking to unequivocally drive a wedge between his country and Moscow.

Germany and the United States have privately warned that the move could lead to escalation of tension. the current conflict has turned into an active war between NATO and Russia.

Mr. Putin has often stated that NATO expansion to Russia's borders over the past two decades was a key factor in his decision to invade Ukraine.

< p>Since then, the Russian president has threatened to use nuclear weapons in the war, raising fears of escalation in Western countries.

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The US, UK and EU countries are currently developing a number of bilateral security agreements. proposals that they hope will help defend Kiev in the absence of NATO membership.

But leaders in the East, such as Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, argue that at the summit on Tuesday and Wednesday, Ukraine should be offered entry roadmap.

Mr. Biden said: «I don't think there is unanimity in NATO about whether Ukraine should be brought into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the midst of a war.»

«If there is a war, then we're all at war, we're at war with Russia, that's how it should be.»

He said a «rational path» needs to be laid for Ukraine to meet membership requirements, including «democratization and a whole host of other questions.

Mr. Biden said he had «spoke at length about this» with Mr. Zelensky, and in the meantime, the US would be ready to provide «security à la the security we provide to Israel.»

«So I think we can work it out, but I think it's premature to talk about voting «now».

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NATO allies are still negotiating what exactly will be offered to Ukraine at the summit.< /p>

Seeking to severely intimidate his Western partners, Zelenskiy threatened to miss the meeting if he could not deliver the good news to his people after the meeting.

He said in a statement signed by NATO in Bucharest in 2008, which said not enough «door open” for Kiev.

“We need some kind of signal, a clear one,” Zelensky told reporters during a trip to the Czech Republic.

“That Ukraine will be in the alliance. It's not that the door is open — that's not enough.»

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has already ruled out an official invitation from Kiev to the summit, as the expansion of the alliance requires the unanimous consent of its 31 members.

Diplomats and officials have described their most likely offer to Kiev as «Bucharest-plus», in a sign of that it would build on their previous promise to admit Ukraine into the alliance, but would not serve as an outright guarantee.

However, security guarantees are being discussed, offsetting this, they add.

The United States is believed , Germany and France are working on a series of bilateral proposals to flesh out their support for Kiev in legally binding agreements.

This will bolster the West's deadly aid as well as its training package and future developments such as the donation of F-16 fighter jets.

The individual national proposals to Kiev will then be placed under an umbrella agreement, a «Memorandum of Understanding» endorsed by NATO and the EU.

Sources say this is the «next best offer» to Kiev, excluding current membership and protection under Article 5. .