German pundit praises outcome of NATO summit for Ukraine

Despite the lack of an invitation to Ukraine to join NATO, the latest summit should be seen as a success for Kyiv.

That’s according to Karl-Heinz Kamp, a political scholar with the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), who commented to Ukrinform on his assessment of the event held in Washington.

"A good outcome for Ukraine," the expert believes.

He noted that the summit brought no surprises, as its declaration had been agreed in advance and no amendments were made. Kamp believes that the wording in the final declaration is much clearer than in the Vilnius document.

This is a clear signal to Russia regarding deterrence and a pledge to provide Ukraine with long-term support, Kamp said.

Also, Ukrainian leaders were aware that there would be no invitation to join the Alliance at the summit, he added.

The expert said NATO knew they had to offer Ukraine more than they did in Vilnius last year. And they delivered, he noted, as a package was worked out, consisting of permanent aid commitments, as well as bilateral security commitments and the establishment of a NATO mission for Ukraine.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, NATO allies referred to Ukraine's accession process as “irreversible” and assured of the support on the country’s path of Euro-Atlantic integration. Also, following the summit, the Ukraine Compact on long-term military support was adopted, which supplemented the G7 Joint Declaration agreed at the previous summit in Vilnius.