{"id":29603,"date":"2020-01-13T10:30:59","date_gmt":"2020-01-13T10:30:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2020\/01\/13\/ukraine-sees-two-paths-for-joining-nato-will-either-work\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:24:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:24:41","slug":"ukraine-sees-two-paths-for-joining-nato-will-either-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/smr\/nato-2020-defined\/2020\/01\/13\/ukraine-sees-two-paths-for-joining-nato-will-either-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukraine sees two paths for joining NATO. Will either work?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 Ukraine remains hopeful it can join NATO in the near future, and it\u2019s putting in a coordinated effort to facilitate the accession process when that time comes, according to a top Ukrainian official.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In December, Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine\u2019s deputy prime minister on European and Euro-Atlantic integration, became the first official from the government of Volodymyr Zelenskiy to visit Washington. Speaking at the German Marshall Fund on Dec. 13, Kuleba said joining NATO and the European Union is vital amid his country\u2019s ongoing conflict with Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe are moving [our country] West, to full member in the EU and NATO. We do it in a discouraging environment because EU is not even giving us a promise of European membership. NATO says, \u2018doors are open,\u2019 and one day we\u2019ll become members, but that day is not specified or marked in red anywhere on the calendar,\u201d Kuleba said. \u201cBut we are still doing it, because we are not doing it either for EU or for NATO \u2014 we are doing it for our country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ukraine signed a partnership agreement with NATO in 1997 and launched talks on full membership in 2005. But those talks never progressed far, and the situation was dramatically complicated when Russia invaded Ukrainian territory in 2014, annexing Crimea and launching irregular warfare in other parts of the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kay Bailey Hutchison, America\u2019s ambassador to NATO, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/smr\/nato-priorities\/2018\/06\/12\/what-does-americas-ambassador-to-nato-see-for-the-alliances-future\/\" target=_blank>told Defense News in 2018<\/a> that she was open to both Ukraine and Georgia joining NATO if they can figure out the details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think, by and large, every one of us [allies] wants to have more members that are in our sphere because we don\u2019t want them to go into the Russian sphere and cause more problems and more disruptions,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kuleba, in his comments, described a \u201cvery simple ambition\u201d to make NATO members view Ukraine as a desirable asset. And Ukraine\u2019s plan to convince the alliance to accept it as a member is a simple one: Just keep showing up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"6240\" height=\"4160\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/25_coverjump_ukraine.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-66122\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/25_coverjump_ukraine.jpg.jpg 6240w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/25_coverjump_ukraine.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/25_coverjump_ukraine.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/25_coverjump_ukraine.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/25_coverjump_ukraine.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/25_coverjump_ukraine.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 6240px) 100vw, 6240px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, right, accompanied by Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Dmytro Kuleba, speaks during a visit to NATO ships in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odessa on Oct. 30, 2019. (Oleksandr Gimanov\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For its part, Ukraine spent 3.8 percent of its gross domestic product on defense in 2018, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/data.worldbank.org\/indicator\/MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS\" target=_blank>World Bank<\/a>, meaning the country surpassed the 2 percent target that is a major focus for U.S. President Donald Trump and a goal set by NATO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition, Kuleba explained, \u201cwe integrate Ukraine in as many fields and markets when it comes to the EU, or fields of cooperation with NATO, as possible, so one day the guys in Brussels in NATO and EU look around and say: \u2018Oh, these Ukrainians are already everywhere, so why shouldn\u2019t we make this next step?\u2019 And that\u2019s what we\u2019ve been doing in the last three months [since the new government took over]. We adopted laws, we intensified political dialogue, we adopted bylaws, we engaged in very ambitious conversations with both EU and NATO.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe do not only want to receive support from NATO. We are also contributing to NATO security, to NATO operations,\u201d including in Afghanistan, he added. \u201cWhat we want to hear from NATO is: \u2018Guys, we are ready to let you here, we want you to be there, we can help you with the following reforms so that you introduce those famous NATO standards in your life.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ian Brzezinski, of the Atlantic Council, sees Kuleba\u2019s comments as \u201ca clear commitment to trans-Atlantic ambition, a clear expression of determination and a clear sense of realism.\u201d The strategy of acting as \u201cde-facto ally\u201d is a solid one that, if executed properly over time, should help enable Ukraine to build up political support among NATO members, the analyst told Defense News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But NATO politics can be tricky. Internal politics can scuttle agreements, as exemplified by Greece\u2019s longstanding hold on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/smr\/nato-priorities\/2018\/06\/15\/macedonia-is-one-step-closer-to-joining-nato-but-a-long-road-remains\/\" target=\"_blank\">Macedonia\u2019s path to membership<\/a>, which eventually led the latter nation to rename itself to appease Athens. Ukraine is currently embroiled in a political fight with Hungary, a NATO member who would have a vote. Other nations, such as France, have a history of skepticism about enlargement. In addition, Ukraine\u2019s involvement in the Trump impeachment saga could have political repercussions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then there is the reality that Ukraine is itself still embroiled in conflict, and nations would likely be concerned about letting in a country that could immediately invoke Article 5, requiring military aid from the allied nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Georgian \u2018brothers and sisters\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ukraine is also eyeing another pathway through Georgia \u2014 who Kuleba described as \u201cbrothers and sisters\u201d to Ukraine \u2014 in the form of a joint push for membership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In many ways, the situation is the same between the two nations; like Ukraine, Georgia has dealt with ongoing Russian military incursions into its territory, dating back to 2008. And like Ukraine, Georgia abuts Russia on the Black Sea, a key strategic area for Moscow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That last point is another argument made by Kyiv, said Kuleba. \u201cIf you [NATO] really want to create strategic balance against Russia in the Black Sea, you cannot achieve that without aligning with Ukraine and Georgia,&#8221; he said. &#8220;You are strong, but having us on board will make you even stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Brzezinski is skeptical that either Georgia or Ukraine would have a significant impact on the naval balance of power in the Black Sea anytime soon, but he noted that generating a more robust regional presence is something for NATO members to consider. And while there is precedent for countries joining NATO as a bloc, he warned that there are risks associated with that approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf one nation does a reversal in terms of its democratic stability, its reforms, it could impede the other\u2019s integration. The two countries have to both be making demonstrable and substantive progress in meeting the alliance\u2019s political, economic and military standards,\u201d Brzezinski said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1008841474.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4937\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1008841474.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1008841474.jpg.jpg?resize=300,157 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1008841474.jpg.jpg?resize=768,402 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1008841474.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,536 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Servicemen take part in the joint multinational military exercise &#8220;Noble Partner 2018&#8221; at Vaziani training centre, outside Tbilisi, on August 1, 2018. &#8211; Georgia launched large-scale joint military exercises with NATO forces &#8211; on the 10th anniversary of its war with Russia, which strongly opposes Tbilisi&#8217;s NATO membership bid. More than 3,000 troops from 13 countries, which include the United States, France, Germany, UK, and Turkey, will take part in the two-week drills. (VANO SHLAMOV\/AFP\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the broader question of whether Ukraine and Georgia, currently embroiled in conflict as they are, should be able to join the alliance, Brzezinski espouses a view that \u201cif you say we\u2019ll never let a country into NATO that\u2019s being attacked by Russia, that\u2019s just an invitation to Russia to initiate hostilities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the analyst acknowledges those ongoing conflicts are a \u201cfactor\u201d that NATO members should consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kuleba acknowledged the problem, saying that Zelenskiy is \u201ccommitted\u201d to ending the conflict in Ukraine. But, Kuleba noted, \u201cuntil Russia changes its approach, its position, we can jump out of our skin; but we cannot do it on our own.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rachel Ellehuus, a former principal director for European and NATO policy in the U.S. Office of the Secretary of Defense, is skeptical that NATO will invite in two nations embroiled in conflict with Russia. But she sees another model that could apply to both Ukraine and Georgia, where the two nations are tied closely to European institutions without formally joining them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe obvious models to follow here are the Nordics. In the case of Sweden and Finland, neither is a member of NATO, but it is hard to envision a conflict in Northern Europe that does not involve them and\/or where their immediate neighbors would not come to their aid,\u201d said Ellehuus, who now works as the deputy director of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Nordics have even taken steps recently to enhance these heretofore informal arrangements, such as establishing emergency hotlines among them and concluding formal access agreements. Likewise, Norway and Iceland are not members of the EU but are, with a few exceptions, very much aligned with EU standards, laws, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The country has made a concerted effort to boost its presence across the European Union&#8217;s and NATO&#8217;s institutions as an advertisement of its commitment to the West.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":66117,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":121,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["flashpoints"],"primary_category":"flashpoints"}}},"categories":[160,46,11,121,36,30],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3378],"class_list":["post-29603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-europe","category-global","category-nato-2020-defined","category-newsletters","category-smr"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"EEPHPSISQFFKDBNFCGGN7A5VFM","arc_canonical_url":"\/smr\/nato-2020-defined\/2020\/01\/13\/ukraine-sees-two-paths-for-joining-nato-will-either-work\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Ukraine sees two paths for joining NATO. Will either work? - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The country has made a concerted effort to boost its presence across the European Union&#039;s and NATO&#039;s institutions as an advertisement of its commitment to the West.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/smr\/nato-2020-defined\/2020\/01\/13\/ukraine-sees-two-paths-for-joining-nato-will-either-work\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ukraine sees two paths for joining NATO. Will either work?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The country has made a concerted effort to boost its presence across the European Union&#039;s and NATO&#039;s institutions as an advertisement of its commitment to the West.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/smr\/nato-2020-defined\/2020\/01\/13\/ukraine-sees-two-paths-for-joining-nato-will-either-work\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Defense News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-01-13T10:30:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-07T22:24:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Aaron Mehta\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Aaron Mehta\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/smr\\\/nato-2020-defined\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/13\\\/ukraine-sees-two-paths-for-joining-nato-will-either-work\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/smr\\\/nato-2020-defined\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/13\\\/ukraine-sees-two-paths-for-joining-nato-will-either-work\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Ukraine sees two paths for joining NATO. 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