Biden urges caution on Ukraine’s NATO membership bid

United States President Joe Biden has urged caution for now on Ukraine’s drive to join NATO, saying the alliance could get drawn into the war with Russia due to NATO’s mutual defence pact.

“I don’t think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war,” Biden said.

Biden made the comments in a CNN interview ahead of his three-nation trip that will be dominated by the NATO summit in Lithuania aimed at showing solidarity with Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

Zelenskiy said an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO would send a message that the Western defense alliance is not afraid of Moscow.

Ukraine should get clear security guarantees while it is not in NATO, and Zelenskiy said that would be one of his goals in Vilnius, in an interview broadcast on Sunday.

“I’ll be there and I’ll be doing whatever I can in order to, so to speak, expedite that solution, to have an agreement with our partners,” Zelenskiy said on ABC’s “This Week.”

The NATO membership of Sweden, whose accession to the alliance has been blocked by both Hungary and Turkey, will be part of the agenda in Vilnius. New members must be approved by a unanimous vote of all existing NATO members.

A centerpiece of Biden’s visit to Lithuania will be a speech he will deliver at Vilnius University on Wednesday night.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters the speech will cover Biden’s vision of “a strong, confident America flanked by strong, confident allies and partners taking on the significant challenges of our time, from Russia’s aggression in Ukraine to the climate crisis.”

One of Biden’s objectives is to show Americans back home the importance of continuing support for Ukraine as he faces re-election. Some of his Republican rivals in the race for the November 2024 presidential election have voiced doubts about his strategy.

Majority of Americans support providing weaponry to Ukraine to defend itself against Russia and believe that such aid demonstrates to China and other U.S. rivals a will to protect U.S. interests and allies, according to a Reuters/Ipsos survey late last month.

Also Read: Biden expresses support for Sweden’s NATO bid

Some Democratic lawmakers on Sunday raised concerns about Biden’s decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine. The artillery shells release dozens of bomblets that cause destruction over wide areas and unexploded ordnance can pose hazards for decades.

Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, told reporters on Sunday that Ukraine in written assurances said it would not use cluster bombs in Russia or in populated areas.

Biden’s last stop will be in Helsinki for talks with the leaders of the newest NATO member, Finland, and to attend a summit of U.S. and Nordic leaders.