Scholz: Ukraine Becoming a Member of NATO? Don't Hold Your Breath
Ukraine's membership has been identified as a red line and even the U.S. has spoken out that it is not the right time.
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Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, threw cold water on the idea that Ukraine may soon become a member of NATO — which would assure WWIII.
Scholz told Germany’s Die Welt that there is a “whole range of requirements belonging to NATO’s criteria that Ukraine can’t fulfill at present.”
Scholz said the issue at hand is the effort by the West to continue to help Kyiv defend its land, but as far as NATO security assurances, “It is clear to everyone that this will not happen in the foreseeable future.”
The U.S. State Department lays out at least five minimum requirements for NATO
New members must uphold democracy, including tolerating diversity.
New members must be making progress toward a market economy.
Their military forces must be under firm civilian control.
They must be good neighbors and respect sovereignty outside their borders.
They must be working toward compatibility with NATO forces
Despite German leadership emerging as one of the top financial and military proponents of the Ukraine War, the public appears unconvinced that this is a conflict worth fighting, according to a recent poll.
A newly released YouGov poll found that just 27 percent of Germans polled said they would support NATO offering Kyiv full membership, which would mean protection under Article 5 of the charter, which means military action on one country is an attack on all members.
Ukraine’s bid to join the alliance has been a contentious issue among members, which is problematic for Ukraine given that the decision needs to be unanimous. Sweden, for example, has been blocked by Turkey and Hungary.
Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO head, has said Ukraine will eventually become a member, but did not give a timeframe.
In January, Scholz said he continues to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone and NATO should not be dragged into a conflict with Moscow. Scholz said his conversations with Putin have not been impolite, but “our perspectives are of course completely different.”
Scholz has said it is imperative to prevent a war between Russia and NATO, and the alliance is in agreement.
Scholz spoke about the conditions behind the weapons that NATO provides Ukraine, including the fact that it is “very important for us that the weapons that we supply, and with which Ukraine can defend itself, are not used to attack Russian territory.”