Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blew up the early professions of unity at the NATO summit Tuesday when he blasted allies for failing to set a firm timeline for his country to join the alliance.
The rattling from outside the tent came hours after NATO announced a breakthrough that would allow it to admit Sweden as its 32nd member, the second new arrival since Russia began its invasion of its neighbor last year.
It came amid a split-screen summit, where leaders declared they were acting in concert, following hard-ball negotiations over NATO’s next member and pleas by Ukraine for more fierce military aid amid Russia’s bombardment and invasion – while smiling head’s of state gripped and grinned at a family photo.
He issued his complaints on Twitter after saying Ukraine would be ‘represented’ at the summit – amid indications that he would meet with President Joe Biden here, saying the presence would be about ‘respect.’
‘But Ukraine also deserves respect. Now, on the way to Vilnius, we received signals that certain wording is being discussed without Ukraine. And I would like to emphasize that this wording is about the invitation to become NATO member, not about Ukraine’s membership,’ he inveighed.
‘It’s unprecedented and absurd when time frame is not set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine’s membership. While at the same time vague wording about “conditions” is added even for inviting Ukraine,’ Zelensky said.
‘Abusrd’: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a statement blasting NATO for refusing to commit to a timeline for his country joining. President Biden said days earlier Ukraine wasn’t ‘ready’ to join
‘This means that a window of opportunity is being left to bargain Ukraine’s membership in NATO in negotiations with Russia,’ he said. ‘And for Russia, this means motivation to continue its terror.’
He said in a Monday night address Ukraine expects an ‘algorithm’ for joining, amid signals that key allies were working on a statement providing security guarantees.
‘We are still working on the wording, that is, on the specific words of such confirmation, but we already understand the fact that Ukraine will be in the alliance,’ he said Monday before his Twitter explosion. ‘And we are working to make the algorithm for gaining membership as clear and fast as possible,’ he said.
His comments came after President Joe Biden earlier Tuesday vowed in Lithuania to defend ‘every inch’ of NATO territory, as the powerful alliance took a key step to adding its 32nd member.
Biden talked up the ‘historic moment’ the alliance was facing as he praised NATO Secretary Gen. Jens Stoltenberg, whose term has been extended.
‘I think it’s really important at this critical moment in Ukraine and the whole NATO issue, that you continue to lead NATO. You’re trusted; no one knows the situation that we’re facing better than you do,’ Biden told him.
‘And this is a historic moment. Adding Finland and Sweden to NATO is consequential. And your leadership really matters. And we agree on the language that you propose, relative to the future of Ukraine being able to join NATO. And we’re looking for a continued united NATO,’ he said.
‘I still think that President Putin thinks the way he succeeds is to break NATO and we’re not going to do that,’ the president said at a photo-op with Stoltenberg.
President Joe Biden with British PM Rishi Sunak and other NATO leaders during a ‘family photo’
The leaders cast big smiles and proclaimed unity, amid signs of tension over Ukraine
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, center left, shakes hands with U.S. President Joe Biden, center right. Hungary must approve Sweden’s bid to join
The president spoke in the capital of Vilnius at the start of a NATO summit as his national security advisor said talk of splits over support for Ukraine have been ‘greatly exaggerated.’
‘As I’ve said before, we take – NATO takes – all of us take Article V literally,’ Biden said as he met Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda at the start of the summit Tuesday.
He said all NATO members were committed to the NAT Charter’s mutual defense obligations. ‘We’re together against whoever was violating that space. We’re going to defend every inch of it,’ he said.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Tuesday warned that Vladimir Putin will be ‘disappointed’ by what emerges from a key NATO summit in Lithuania.
The top aide to President Biden hit out at claims that divisions had erupted over Washington’s decision to send controversial cluster bombs to Kyiv’s armed forces.
President Joe Biden vowed to defend ‘every inch’ of NATO territory as he met with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda at the Presidential Palace at the start of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania Tuesday
Biden kicked off the summit after a key breakthrough that would grow the alliance to 32 members
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had been amongst a chorus of voices who raised concerns about shipping the highly lethal arms to the war-torn country.
But in a response to DailyMail.com, Sullivan dismissed claims that the 31-nation military alliance was fractured over its backing of the Ukrainian military.
‘I would say rumors of the death of NATO’s unity were greatly exaggerated,’ he said. ‘Vladimir Putin has been counting on the West to crack, NATO to crack and the transatlantic alliance to crack and he has been disappointed with every turn.’
The Russian tyrant will be ‘very much disappointed’ by what emerges from the two-day meeting in Lithuania, Sullivan added.
And in a clear sign that tensions were on the rise, Russian ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov accused Washington of plotting ‘confrontation’ with Moscow.
Biden signed a book before his meeting with the Lithuanian president
Biden touted the strength of the alliance. The U.S. has about 1,000 troops serving in Lithuania, which border’s Russian ally Belarus
Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda, right, welcomes U.S. President Joe Biden at the Presidential Palace prior the NATO summit in Vilnius
Biden advisors say unity of the alliance is on display in Vilnius
‘Everything is being done to prepare domestic public opinion for the approval of the anti-Russian decisions that will be made in Vilnius in the coming days,’ he was quoted as saying by the RIA news agency, a Kremlin mouthpiece.
Biden’s comments came at the top of his first full day in Vilnius.
He began his day by greeting Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda and signing a guest book.
A reporter asked him what got Turkey to agree to Sweden’s membership in the alliance.
‘What do you think?’ Biden said without elaborating. He said he wasn’t surprised about Sweden getting in.
Biden also viewed an honor guard, just as he did Monday at Windsor.
As during his meeting with King Charles, Biden put a hand on his host, placing his hand on Nauseda’s back as they reviewed the honor guard, part of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas Staff Battalion.
He then held a bilateral meeting with Nauseda, while joined by Secretary of State Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and Sullivan.
Said Nauseda: ‘The situation in our region is unfortunately deteriorating and we see what is happening around us,’ cautioning that Belarus was growing increasingly close with Russia.
‘Probably Lithuania is one of the most enthusiastic supporters of trans-Atlantic bond,’ he said.
The summit ‘takes place in in absolute proximity to adversary countries. This is symbolic event, symbolic, but at the same time, this is a great opportunity to take the decisions,’ he said.
Ukraine is seeking interim security guarantees from the U.S. and its allies as it waits to join NATO.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will hold talks with Joe Biden on Wednesday as part of that push for legally-binding protection from future Russian aggression.
On Monday, the mutual defense club agreed to axe its so-called Membership Action Plan for Kyiv, traditionally a waiting room for countries looking to sign up.
It means, in theory, that Ukraine is on a fast-track to joining, but Joe Biden has warned that will not happen until the war is over.
A ‘reform path for Ukraine’ will be drawn up but ‘I can’t put a timetable on it, Sullivan said.
He ruled out any immediate entry for Western-backed Ukraine, given its ongoing war against Russian invasion, saying this would ‘bring NATO into a war with Russia.’
A paper by ex-NATO chief Ander Fogh Rasmussen and his chief of staff Andriy Yermak last year suggested a Kyiv Security Compact, effectively shadow NATO membership, to protect the country and its people from future Russian aggression.
It said that it should include US, Great Britain, Canada, Poland, Italy, Germany, France, Australia, and Turkey, as well as Baltic, Central and Eastern Europe.
Ukraine was first considered for NATO membership in 2008 but was never offered a formal process to join amid fears that Russia would be provoked by such a move.
Under Article 5 of the alliance’s mutual defense treaty, an attack on one NATO ally is considered as an attack on all.
But it is not automatic, and the clause requires the approval of all NATO countries to be triggered.
That has happened only once since NATO was founded in 1949; in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks and George W. Bush’s invasion of Afghanistan.
The focus on Ukraine comes as Turkey backed down on blocking Sweden ‘s bid to join NATO on Monday.
It followed hours of last-minute diplomacy that saw the U.S. green light the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to the Turkish government.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg made the announcement in a joint statement with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Ulf Kristersson.
Erdogan said he would urge Turkish MPs to ratify Sweden’s application to join the 31-member mutual defense club ‘as soon as possible’.
Earlier, the strongman leader had linked dropping his opposition to Stockholm’s possible membership to reviving long-dead EU accession talks.
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