Zelenskyy's Tweet Overshadows Strategic Summit Successes
Leaders Reportedly "Infuriated" By Tweeted Remarks
Overt Operator
July 19, 2023
Last week, the NATO summit in Vilnius was overshadowed by an incendiary tweet from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, just as alliance leaders convened. The tweet reportedly "infuriated" U.S. leaders, causing some of them to reconsider policy, media reports stated.
"It’s unprecedented and absurd when time frames are not set neither for an invitation nor for Ukraine’s membership,” he wrote, adding, “Uncertainty is weakness,” Zelenskyy tweeted on July 11, venting his frustration over the lack of a clear timeline for Ukraine’s NATO membership.
The tweet, regarded as a break from conventional diplomatic decorum, stoked outrage and dominated the summit headlines. Amid this maelstrom, a more significant narrative unfolded, largely overlooked amidst the media's fervor over Zelenskyys outburst and Ukraine's discontent.
From the Kremlin’s vantage point, the NATO meeting would have provided little comfort. It signified yet another stark reminder of how costly Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine has been for Russia's strategic standing.
Zelenskyy had expected one outcome but received a different response at the summit, CNN reported.
NATO’s decision-makers had never hinted at extending an immediate membership invitation to Kyiv. As Zelenskyy would know, enrolling a nation engaged in active warfare into an alliance whose core mission is to safeguard its members' territories from external aggression would be implausible.
Nevertheless, NATO leaders clarified that “Ukraine’s future is in NATO.” As US President Joe Biden reiterated, Ukraine’s accession is a matter of when not if.
The Vilnius summit also saw NATO bypass the standard requirement for Ukraine to first join its Membership Action Plan, a measure that could otherwise delay Ukraine's membership post-war.
Putin would find none of these developments reassuring. In a remarkable twist of irony, his decision to invade Ukraine – partially predicated on fears of Ukraine's NATO membership – has made such an eventuality all the more likely. Biden stated unequivocally, “Ukraine will join NATO.” However, Biden explained that Ukraine could not join the alliance at present during the active war because it would imply a world conflict.
However, Ukraine’s imminent membership was not the sole cause for Kremlin's discomfort. The Vilnius summit also saw significant pledges of military aid to Ukraine. New commitments from France, Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and the US all served to strengthen Kyiv's counter-offensive capabilities.
Furthermore, G7 leaders, present in Vilnius, reaffirmed their long-term commitment to maintaining Ukraine’s defense capacity even post-war, sending a clear message to Moscow: the West stands with Ukraine, now and in the future
The summit had wider ramifications too. Finland's accession to NATO, bringing the total member states to 31, more than doubled the alliance's border with Russia. Similarly, Turkey lifting its objections opened the door for Sweden to become the 32nd member, transforming the Baltic Sea into a de facto NATO zone.
Other moves sure to unnerve Moscow included the collective commitment to enhance NATO's defense capacity along its eastern flank, exemplified by Germany's pledge to deploy 4,000 troops to Lithuania and Canada's decision to double its Latvian presence. Also, the agreement on three regional defense plans marked the first such detailed planning in 30 years.
To finance these efforts, the NATO leaders agreed to elevate the existing 2 percent GDP defense spending guideline from a ceiling to a floor. Effectively, this will double NATO's annual defense budget relative to Russia's.
The NATO summit, therefore, far from being an assembly fraught with discord, yielded significant strategic successes for the alliance, sending a clear signal of unity and resolve.
Media speculates over Zelenskyy’s tweet and the long-lasting impact of the Vilnius summit. Political analysts view the summit as having “modest results” while NATO allies see the summit as strengthening collective security and reaffirming NATO's unwavering support for Ukraine - developments that promise to reshape the geopolitical landscape for years to come. The stage is now set for a test of resolve between NATO's reinvigorated unity and the Kremlin's expansionist ambitions.