Why was the dream of Ukraine joining NATO did not come true in 2023?
After the start of its war with Russia, especially in 2023, Ukraine insisted on joining NATO. While the leaders of the Western countries have repeatedly announced that until the end of the war, Ukraine can’t join this 30-member coalition.
Of course, Ukraine’s efforts to join NATO are not a new issue. For years, Ukraine has been oscillating between joining and not joining NATO. Former President Viktor Yushchenko wanted to join NATO, but after the Russian invasion of Georgia, Ukrainians became reluctant to follow this policy.
Yushchenko’s successor, Viktor Yanukovych, abandoned any desire for membership and promoted closer ties with Russia. It even agreed that Moscow would continue to lease a Black Sea seaport in Crimea.
During the Obama administration, US officials encouraged Ukraine to sign a formal agreement with the European Union instead of trying to join NATO. But Putin pressured Yanukovych to reject the deal, which led to the Euromaidan protests in 2013 and eventually ousted Yanukovych.
Why was the dream of Ukraine joining NATO and the Union not realized in 2023?
After Zelenskiy came to power, Ukraine seriously pursued EU membership; A policy that eventually led to Russia’s military attack on this country.
Along with Zelensky’s diplomatic efforts to join NATO during these two years of war, we have always seen frequent threats from Kremlin officials who have warned about the consequences of joining.
In July 2023, Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman of the Russian presidency, stated that Ukraine’s accession to NATO had very negative consequences for the security structure of Europe. Europe will have half-destroyed security and it will be an absolute danger and threat to Russia.
At the end of November, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated in a press conference in response to former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s statements about the membership of a part of Ukraine in this alliance: We have repeatedly stated our position on Ukraine joining NATO. We have explained. Ukraine’s accession to the NATO bloc is unacceptable for Russia in any way.
Why does the Union oppose Ukraine’s accession to NATO?
Last year, NATO opened its arms to two Scandinavian countries, namely Finland and Sweden, and finally, Finland became a member of this organization. It is very likely that in 2024, Sweden will also join NATO, but NATO’s doors remain closed to Ukraine.