Ukraine's NATO aspirations clash with U.S. peace plan vision
President Zelensky does not believe that Ukraine will have guaranteed security without the involvement of the Americans. In Munich, he declared that his country will not abandon its plans to join the Alliance. Earlier, the US Secretary of Defense stated that Ukraine's NATO membership should not be included in a potential peace plan.
Since Friday, the 61st edition of the Munich Security Conference has been taking place in Germany, with more than 60 heads of state and government and over 100 ministers participating.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that security guarantees without the United States would be weak. He noted that America would not provide guarantees unless Europe had strong ones of its own. He also reaffirmed that Ukraine’s NATO membership would remain on the agenda.
Zelensky pointed out that, at present, Putin appears to be the most influential member of NATO, as his demands can obstruct the alliance's decisions. He emphasised that it was the Ukrainian army—not a NATO country or its forces—that halted Russia.
Storm following U.S. Secretary of Defence’s words
This week in Brussels, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, a former soldier and in recent years a television presenter associated with Fox News, stated that Ukraine's return to pre-2014 borders is an "unrealistic" goal. He also said that according to the US, Ukraine's NATO membership should not be part of a potential peace plan.
These words caused a stir in Europe and across the ocean. The United States is being criticised for sending signals that they are willing to yield to Putin even before any peace talks.
Assuming concessions before any negotiations is a huge mistake - said European Council President António Costa on Saturday in Munich.
- It means that peace in Ukraine and Europe’s security cannot be separated. It means that we take into account that the Russian threat goes beyond Ukraine - he emphasised.
In his view, "a comprehensive peace cannot be a simple ceasefire" and "cannot reward the aggressor". As he stated, peace must ensure that Russia is no longer a threat to Ukraine, Europe, or international security.
Vance accuses Europe
Friday's speech in Munich by US Vice President J.D. Vance also caused no less emotion, as he sharply criticised European democracy, accusing Europe of abandoning its values, practising censorship, ignoring voters, and persecuting Christians.
The threat that I worry most about vis-a-vis Europe is not Russia, not China, it’s not any other external actor. What I worry about is the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values - stated Vance.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius immediately reacted to these words. He accused Vance of comparing the situation in parts of the continent to that in authoritarian regimes. - This is unacceptable - said Pistorius, to which conference participants responded with prolonged applause.
