NATO summit draft resolution highlights irreversibility of Ukraine's accession – CNN

Ukraine’s path to NATO is described as "irreversible" in the draft communiqué of the NATO summit in Washington.

As reported by CNN with reference to three sources familiar with the situation, the issue of how strong the promises regarding Ukraine's future membership in NATO would be has become a key point of debate among the 32 member states of the Alliance ahead of the summit this week.

The communiqué’s final text may still change, but the inclusion of the term "irreversible" will serve as an important signal to both Kyiv and Moscow. Kyiv has insisted that the irreversibility of Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic course be mentioned in the summit’s decision.

An unnamed US official said that the White House supports the use of this term in the final communiqué, provided that the document also confirms that Ukraine’s work on democratic reforms must continue. According to the official, the final version of the document will include this point.

While many NATO members from Europe emphasise the need for clear statements regarding Ukraine's possible future in the Alliance, US and German officials have proposed describing a "bridge" to NATO membership for Ukraine in the communiqué.

Meanwhile, officials also highlighted the importance of "tangible measures" to support Kyiv's fight against Russia.

A senior US administration official stated on Friday, 5 July, that the Alliance will make "significant new announcements about how we’re increasing NATO’s military, political and financial support for Ukraine" as part of Ukraine’s "bridge to NATO".

Earlier, the White House stated that the "bridge to NATO" will provide Ukraine with membership when there is political will.

On Monday, 8 July, Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk stated in Washington that Ukraine wants to hear what it needs to do to receive a "yes" regarding membership.