Invitation for Ukraine to join NATO reasonable and necessary at this stage – Zhovkva

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva said this in an exclusive commentary to Ukrinform.

Zhovkva recalled that the first point of the Victory Plan, which President Volodymyr Zelensky presented to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during his visit to Berlin, clearly states that Ukraine is expecting to receive an invitation to join NATO now. At the same time, he noted that at this particular stage, when Russian aggression continues, it is virtually impossible to raise the question of accession.

“However, it is both legitimate and rational to raise the issue of an invitation. A decision made by all 32 members would send a powerful signal to the international community and to the aggressor that Ukraine enjoys security support. Therefore, the invitation is both reasonable and necessary for Ukraine. At the same time, Ukraine continues to move along the path of reforms; and all these reforms will be implemented before our accession,” the politician said.

He emphasized that it is very important for Ukraine to have “certainty and perspective”.

"Having a clear understanding that this decision, if approved by all states, will be irreversible, will undoubtedly enhance our security situation today," Zhovkva stated.

According to him, the state will then move forward with reforms by fulfilling all the necessary conditions. The deputy head of the President’s Office added that the membership procedure does not allow for immediate accession following an invitation. He noted that the time frame can vary significantly, as evidenced by the experiences of other countries.    

“By ensuring the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic area, which is more than just ‘fine words’, we believe that Ukraine already meets the main criteria for NATO membership. This includes sharing the values of the Euro-Atlantic community and being able to contribute to the security of the region,” Zhovkva said.

NATO membership is the strongest security guarantee, but before that occurs, Ukraine will require additional security guarantees from its partners — both now and particularly following the Victory, Zhovkva said. The foundation has already been laid: 27 relevant agreements have been signed, including a “rather solid” one with Germany.

“The issue of Ukraine's security should be on the agenda for the entire European and Euro-Atlantic community until Ukraine joins NATO,” Zhovkva said.

He also expressed gratitude to Germany, a key partner of Ukraine in terms of assistance and a leading supplier of vital weapons, including air defense systems. The Presidential Office deputy head said he hopes that the level of assistance from Berlin in 2025 would not decrease. Commenting on the fact that Germany's budget provides for an amount almost twice as much as the amount allocated for military support to Ukraine this year, Zhovkva noted that this is “a subject of negotiations between both sides, including at the highest level.”

“We want the leadership to be maintained and we are confident that it will be,” the politician said.

As reported, on Thursday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on a popular talk show on ZDF that he did not see the possibility of accepting a country at war into NATO, or even an official invitation to join the Alliance.

He also emphasized his negative attitude toward Germany's transfer of long-range weapons to Ukraine and his skepticism about allowing Ukraine to hit targets in Russia with Western weapons. At the same time, Scholz assured that his country would support Ukraine in its defense struggle.