NATO leaders will approve the alliance’s first comprehensive defence plans since the cold war, spanning 4,000 pages of text, including three regional plans covering the north, central and southern parts of Europe
leaders in Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital, opened in dramatic fashion on July 10th. On the eve of the gathering, which begins formally on July 11th, Turkey lifted its hold on Sweden’s application to join the alliance. It means that Sweden is likely to become the 32nd member oflake and potentially ending a saga that has dragged on for more than a year.officials warn that Swedish membership is not a done deal.
The relief over Sweden’s progress will be short-lived. The thorniest challenge at the summit is how to handle Ukraine’s bid formembership. In 2008, at a summit in Bucharest, the allies agreed that Ukraine and Georgia “will become members of”, but did not say how or when. Many now believe that was the worst of all worlds: a red rag to Russia, without any benefit to Ukraine.
America and Ukraine seem to be talking past one another, suggests Eric Ciaramella of the Carnegie Endowment, a think-tank in Washington. Ukraine sees the question ofmembership in symbolic terms, he suggests, as a signal to Russia. America takes a legalistic approach. “There is a very serious concern about advancing the language in a way that we have no clear path to…make good on that promise,” says Mr Ciaramella.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
As NATO’s leaders gather in Vilnius, Ukraine will dominate everythingSeveral challenges loom over the NATO summit. Find out what they are
Read more »
Nato summit: Ukraine's future membership to be discussed by leaders in VilniusThe summit in Vilnius will see disagreement on what to promise President Zelensky.
Read more »
Nato membership for Ukraine a key question at Vilnius summitNato is split over inviting Ukraine to join the alliance. Ukraine fears what happens if they don't.
Read more »
Turkey agrees to Sweden’s NATO membershipSweden is likely to become the 32nd member of NATO, essentially turning the Baltic Sea into a NATO lake
Read more »
Turkey agrees to Sweden’s NATO membership, as leaders gather in VilniusThe relief over Sweden’s progress will be short-lived. The thorniest challenge at the summit is how to handle Ukraine’s bid for NATO membership
Read more »