Ukraine did not receive any clear prospects for joining NATO during the Alliance summit in Vilnius, which took place on July 11-12, 2023. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remained not too satisfied with the position of the partner countries. When will Ukraine become a member of NATO and why is there currently no unity among the members of the Alliance on this issue – The Ukrainian Review asked the ex-Minister of Defense of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Chairperson of the NATO Communications and Information Velizar Shalamanov.
Q: In your opinion, what did the Alliance countries lack at the summit in Vilnius in order to objectively invite Ukraine — courage, unity, and political will?
A: I am absolutely sure that Ukraine will become a member of NATO. In fact, we already consider it a member of the Alliance. NATO countries fully support the Armed Forces and Ukraine itself. I think that the official invitation will be received as soon as you can push the Russian troops out of your sovereign territory.
Q: Will Ukraine be able to join NATO at the next summit after the end of the war according to the same procedure as Finland?
A: I expect that this will happen at the summit in Washington [in 2024 — ed.], when NATO will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its founding. NATO has grown from 16 countries to 32, which speaks of the success of the Alliance, which ensures stability and peace in the world. Ukraine is an example of what NATO countries can do for the security of Europe.
Q: I would like to clarify your opinion: will this offer be with additional conditions or under an accelerated procedure?
A: As you well know, NATO makes political decisions that require the consensus of all participants. We see that Ukraine is supported by Eastern Europe, as well as other key NATO members. I expect that there will be more support instead of developing some new conditions or requirements. I can assure you that Russia will not play a role in the decision-making by NATO countries. The integrity of NATO is the key to our strength. When the leaders of NATO member states say that Ukraine will become a member of the Alliance, it means that Ukraine will indeed become a member of NATO. Now it is simply necessary to help you free the country from the Russian aggressors. I hope to achieve this as part of this summer’s counter-offensive. But, of course, this is not a condition. The condition is cooperation in order for Russia to leave the territory of Ukraine. After that, Ukraine will become a full member of NATO.
Velizar Shalamanov also spoke to Ukrainian journalists from the Ukraine-Odesa Media Center regarding Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the Republic of Bulgaria on July 6, 2023. We publish some of the most interesting answers of the ex-Minister of Defense of Bulgaria.
Q: During Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Bulgaria, one of the topics was military cooperation. What do you think can be contained in the agreed package of military aid?
A: As Defense Minister Todor Tagarev noted, this is a list of various weapons, excluding helicopters and jets. Of course, we consider all possibilities in detail. we are preparing the next aid package for ammunition and small arms. Yesterday [the conversation took place on July 13, 2023 — ed.] the ruling majority proposed that we can provide more than 100 armored vehicles [most of them are soviet-type AFV — ed.]. If our NATO allies agree on the replacement of military equipment and weapons, we can even provide air defense systems and anti-aircraft guns. We see great support for Ukraine not only from the government and parliament but also from Bulgarian civil society.
Q: Todor Tagarev, who holds the post of Minister of Defense, is known for his pro-European views. With his appointment, should we expect an intensification of military cooperation between our countries?
A: Of course, Mr. Tagarev influences the change in the situation, but at the same time we are talking about the new government in general. We are currently considering our assistance in a successful counteroffensive of the Armed Forces, and we also support Ukraine’s membership in NATO. We see support for Ukraine not only at the level of the Ministry of Defense, but also at the level of the government, parliament, and society — consolidated support for Ukraine.
Q: The altercation between Presidents Radev and Zelenskyy was caught on cameras. Radev offered to continue the conversation without cameras because he has a certain proposal for Zelenskyy. In your opinion, what kind of proposal is this, what could it be about?
A: It seems to me that this proposal did not refer to military aid but to energy support (Mr. Radev mention this). When Rumen Radev realized that now the government is more involved in military support, the president decided to coordinate energy cooperation. But here it is very important that we do not see a situation where Russia’s support will actually take place. And the government should control this process. If the president proposes something that does not correspond to the government’s strategy, it will be unacceptable.
Kostyantyn Grechany
Translated by Stanislav Kinka
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