Ukraine’s 45-year-old President Volodymer Zelensky expressed his frustration with NATO in public, thinking he’s too big of a global celebrity to be denied membership the 32-member security bloc. Zelensky has pushed for NATO membership in the lead up to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Feb. 24, 2022 invasion. Treated as a celebrity by Western powers because of standing up to Moscow, Zelensky let his celebrity status get to his head, thinking he could brow-beat NATO into membership or at least an invitation into the trans-Atlantic alliance. “Uncertainty is weakness. And I will openly discuss this at the summit Zelensky said. President Joe Biden, 80, Zelensky’s main benefactor in the war against the Kremlin, said there can be no invitation or NATO membership until Zelensky ends his war with Russia. Zelensky sees this as weakness, assuming that NATO sees it his way.
Zelensky thinks that if NATO gives him membership, Putin would end the conflict, fearing he would go against the 32-member alliance. But 64-year-old NATO-Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has told Zelensky that NATO does not want to enter the war against the Russian Federation. Stolteberg agrees in principle that Ukraine could one day get an invitation to join NATO but only after certain standards are met, not least of which that he’s not fighting a war. U.S. and NATO have supplied Zelensky with unending cash-and-lethal weapons to resist Russia’s invasion but that doesn’t mean the alliance would offer Kiev membership. No matter how hard Zelensky sells the alliance on Ukraine, the fact remains his government is bankrupt, unable to pay basic government salaries without U.S. and NATO help. Zelensky’s PR team has made him think he can’t be told no in his demands.
Zelensky acts like he’s getting the run-around by NATO but actually he’s been told he has to resolve his conflict with Russia before NATO can begin to look at his request for eventual membership. Zelensky acts like it’s the U.S. and NATO’s war with the Kremlin but all the alliance can do for Ukraine is offer cash-and-arms for him to resist Russian occupation. When Zelensky says “uncertainty is weakness,” he’s pressuring NATO to invite him for membership, when it can’t do that because he’s still fighting his war with the Kremlin. Zelensky thinks that with all the lip service from NATO countries, he’s actually hearing that the U.S. or NATO fights Ukraine’s conflict. Telling the U.S. and Europe that Ukraine fights Russia to save European democracy is not accepted by anyone other than Kiev. NATO doesn’t contract with war-torn, bankrupt Ukraine to defend European democracy.
Zelensky thinks he can recite his own misguided talking point and the U.S. and NATO will follow along. Biden has repeated Zelensky’s talking points about defending European democracy. But defending European democracy is not Ukraine’s job, it’s NATO’s job, something that confuses Zelensky. “It seems there is no readiness neither to invite Ukraine to NATO nor to make it a member of the alliance,” Zelensky said. “Signals that certain wording is being discussed without Ukraine,” meaning that Ukraine can’t invite itself into NATO. “This means that a window of opportunity is being left to bargain Ukraine’s membership in NATO in negotiations with Russia. And for Russia, this means motivation to continue the terror,” Zelensky said, completely confused about his role in the NATO membership process.
Zelensky thinks he’s dictating to NATO the reasons for Ukraine’s membership, rather that the other way around. NATO membership doesn’t guarantee the war ends and Putin removes his troops from Ukraine. NATO membership is not something Zelensky can demand or convince NATO it’s in the alliance’s best interests because European democracy is threatened by Russia. Germany’s 65-year-old Chancellor Olaf Scholz put it simply to Zelensky.that the G7 would supply support to Ukraine while it battles the Kremlin. Zelensky refuses to accept that NATO or the G7, for that matter, doesn’t see Ukraine as vital to protecting European democracy. Scholz told Zelenksy that as long a Ukraine continues fighting, the alliance and G7 will supply support to Kiev. Zelensky doesn’t accept he’s not one calling the shots when it comes to when, if ever, Ukraine receives NATO membership.
Zelensky can make his case for NATO membership or an invitation to NATO but he’s not part of the alliance to determine membership. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, 45, said he would draw up a path for reforms needed for Ukraine to eventually be considered for NATO membership. Zelensky sees any decision to delay or postpone NATO membership “From our point of view, this decision is a mistake with consequences for the Ukrainian side, because this will of course force us to take countermeasures,” said Kremlin Spokesman Dmity Peskov, referring to France sending SCALP long-rage cruise missiles to Ukraine. Zelensky’s insistence on continuing the conflict has consequences for Ukraine and for NATO. Zelensky acts like Ukraine has martyred itself to protect European democracy. He believes his 37-year-old Propaganda Minister Kyrlyo Budanov’s rubbish.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
