BERLIN: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s request for an immediate invitation to join NATO, underscoring that a nation at war cannot become a member of the military alliance.
Speaking to public broadcaster ZDF, Scholz said, “It is important to realize that a country at war absolutely cannot become a member of NATO. Everyone knows that, there is no disagreement on this subject.”
The German leader’s comments followed Zelensky’s presentation of his “Victory Plan” to Western allies, where one of the key demands was for Ukraine to be fast-tracked into the US-led trans-Atlantic defense bloc.
Scholz said that NATO membership typically follows an invitation, which is closely linked to joining the alliance, but “in the past, we have described a perspective towards Ukrainian membership in the longer term.”
At NATO summits in Vilnius last year and in Washington this summer, Ukraine’s future membership was discussed. However, Scholz made it clear that, for now, “there is currently no need for any new decision” beyond these discussions.
The Ukrainian president has been actively lobbying Western leaders for more military and strategic support to help Ukraine end the war with Russia, which is now in its third year. Alongside the NATO request, Zelensky’s “Victory Plan” called for the removal of restrictions on the use of long-range weapons that have been supplied by Western allies to Ukraine.
Despite Zelensky’s appeals, these demands have not garnered unanimous backing among NATO members. Scholz, for his part, remains firm in his position that the conflict must not escalate into a direct war between Russia and NATO.
He also stood by Germany’s refusal to deliver long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, which could potentially strike deep inside Russian territory, despite Ukraine’s repeated requests for such armaments.
