Ukraine Protests Exclusion from NATO Summit Invitation... Eyes on US-Russia Leaders' Meeting

"Refused NATO Membership for 13 Years"
Criticism of Biden-Putin Summit Continues in the U.S.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Ukraine, which is confronting Russia in the eastern border area, has expressed strong opposition to not being invited to the upcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit next month and urged for an expedited NATO membership. The NATO summit, scheduled to be held immediately after the Group of Seven (G7) summit, was widely expected to invite Ukraine; however, with the agreement between the United States and Russia to hold a summit, analyses suggest that Ukraine was excluded to avoid provoking Russia. It is also reported that criticism is emerging within the United States, warning that the US-Russia summit could cause misunderstandings among European allies and risk legitimizing Russia.

According to foreign media including the Associated Press on the 26th (local time), Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, after concluding a meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) held in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, stated at a press conference, "I do not understand why Ukraine is not invited to the NATO summit next month," and insisted, "Ukraine must participate in some form."

The NATO summit, scheduled for June 14 in Brussels, Belgium, will be held after the G7 summit in London from June 11 to 13, and US President Joe Biden is expected to attend. Initially, it was widely anticipated that Ukraine would be invited as a quasi-member. However, the situation changed after the White House announced the day before that a summit between President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin would be held on June 16 in Geneva, Switzerland. The United States and major NATO member countries are presumed to have excluded Ukraine from the NATO summit to avoid provoking Russia.

Minister Kuleba also criticized NATO for continuously delaying Ukraine’s membership. He said, "It has been 13 years since NATO indicated in 2008 that it would positively consider Ukraine’s membership, but no procedures have been carried out," adding, "Ukraine’s NATO membership will have a significant impact on the security of Europe and the Atlantic alliance." Previously, the Biden administration expressed support for Ukraine’s NATO membership and stated that NATO’s doors remain open, but major NATO member countries are reportedly taking a passive stance on Ukraine’s membership issue, fearing it could excessively provoke Russia.

The US political media outlet The Hill reported that with the news of the Biden-Putin summit, normalization of relations between the US and Russia is anticipated, causing not only Ukraine but also Eastern European countries receiving US military aid to worry about a reduction in US assistance. Consequently, opposition voices within the United States regarding this summit are growing.

According to CNN, the day before, Senator Ben Sasse, a Republican from the US, stated, "A summit with Putin itself could be a gift that legitimizes Putin," and expressed opposition to holding the summit, saying, "The US should not show weakness by fearing Putin like a gangster while legitimizing him."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.