NATO Summit 2023 – mixed feelings but an apparent step forward

UKRAINE - In Brief 13 Jul 2023 by Dmytro Boyarchuk

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All the developments at the NATO Summit in Vilnius triggered multiple emotional reactions from Ukraine. It would be a stretch to say that Ukrainian authorities had a poor understanding of the unfolding events or held unrealistic expectations. However, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy did require some stronger statements from NATO to relay to a nation suffering daily missile strikes and engaged in a fierce fight with an aggressor for over 500 days. From a logical perspective, everything is clear and entirely predictable. The US and Germany are still considering how the war might end, keeping a contingency plan in reserve for when they may need to rebuild relations with Russia. Moreover, the US is apparently wary of a potential scenario involving internal warfare in Russia, as it could deliver an easy advantage for China and lead to multiple players with nuclear weapons within the former territory of Russia. However, for Ukrainians, the collapse of Russia is undoubtedly the best-case scenario. Against this backdrop, the major players are trying to navigate complex dynamics, while the Ukrainian leadership is seeking a bold resolution. At some point, this mismatch of objectives was bound to become apparent to the public, and it appears that point was the NATO Summit. Even though there was no official invitation for Ukraine to join NATO (as Volodymyr Zelenskiy had expected), and the wording of the communique was somewhat cautious, the G7 revealed a security framework for Ukraine. This represents a clear step forward in building an understanding of what the long-term security arrangements will look like. The message remains essentially the same as before: we will provide you wi...