Zelenskyy slams ‘absurd’ lack of timetable for Ukraine’s invitation to join NATO

VILNIUS — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says it’s “absurd” that no timetable has been laid out for his country to be invited to join NATO or become a member one day.

Zelenskyy said on Twitter that he plans to discuss NATO’s “uncertainty” over Ukraine’s possible membership during the alliance’s summit in Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital.

He says the Ukrainian delegation to the summit starting Tuesday had “received signals that certain wording” under discussion deals with the prospect of NATO inviting Ukraine to become a member, “not about Ukraine’s membership”.

Zelenskyy called it “unprecedented and absurd” that a time frame hasn’t been set, either for an invitation or Ukrainian membership.

“It seems there is no readiness either to invite Ukraine to NATO or to make it a member of the alliance,” the president said.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says he wants NATO to show “demonstrable progress” at the summit on Ukraine’s membership.

“I’ve always said that Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO,” Sunak told reporters during his flight to Vilnius.

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France will deliver deep-strike missiles as part of increased efforts to help Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russian forces, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday.

France has been weighing whether to send Scalp missiles to Ukraine. They are the French counterpart of Britain’s Storm Shadow missiles, which the UK already sent to Ukraine.

Macron said upon arriving at the NATO summit in Vilnius, “We have decided to deliver new deep-strike missiles to Ukraine” as part of beefed-up military support. The French leader did not specify which missiles, or say when or how many would be supplied.

Macron said the decision was made “in view of the situation and the counteroffensive being led by Ukraine” against Russian forces. He said in May that the longer-range Scalp missiles could help the counteroffensive, which is in its early stages.

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says the European Union’s future relations with Turkey will reflect its status as an “important partner,” but he isn’t elaborating on what that would entail.

NATO officials said Monday that Turkey agreed to ratify Sweden’s membership in the Western military alliance, removing one of the last major roadblocks to the Nordic country joining NATO.

However, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan linked his country’s support to Turkey’s long-stalled bid to join the European Union. Scholz and others have rejected a connection.

Speaking as he arrived Tuesday at the two-day NATO summit in Vilnius, Scholz called Turkey “an important partner for us” and said he would speak with Erdogan during the event.

Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel said it’s important to keep seeking cooperation with Ankara. He said Erdogan’s decision on Sweden “shows that if one talks to Turkey, one finds solutions.”

“We haven’t already always had the easiest relations with Turkey, but we shouldn’t turn our backs on Turkey, otherwise it will find other partners,” Bettel said.