Ukraine has muted reaction to Nato membership planpublished at 10:03 British Summer Time 12 July 2023

10:03 BST 12 July 2023

Gordon Corera
Security correspondent

Ukraine has been knocking at Nato's door for years asking to join.

Yesterday, President Zelensky was pretty much banging on that door, saying that it would be "absurd" not to get a clear commitment and timetable to join.

That message may well have been a way of putting some late pressure on the Nato leaders, knowing there were last-minute discussions on what to offer Ukraine.

It did, in the end, get a step forward in the process. But only a relative small one. And a bigger leap remains. Membership, Nato says, will only come “when allies agree and conditions are met”.

The reaction from Ukrainians has been muted.

No one wants to sound ungrateful to Nato when the weapons some members supply remain vital.

But Ukrainians know it will take more than weapons to secure the country in the long term.

"Of course, we need and we are thankful for long-range missiles, for example, from France. But we also have to see the future. We also have to have some hope about future,” Yehor Cherniev, an MP told me.

Where some Nato members fear Ukrainian membership could draw them into the war, Ukrainians believe that only Nato membership can end the conflict and provide long-term security.

They fear that continued ambiguity about Nato's commitment to Ukraine carries risks.

“Russia understands only one language – language of force," Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Honcharenko told the BBC. “This is not the language of force. That is the language of hesitation."

Image source, PA

We're hearing the meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and the UK PM Rishi Sunak has begun on the fringes of the Nato summit in Vilnius.

"Our negotiations always enhance global security! More news to come," Zelensky tweeted a short while ago.

Sunak had suggested they meet without aides present, with the president agreeing there should only be two of them in the room. (Unfortunately, none of us here are flies on the wall, so we'll have to wait for a statement from either leader to know what happened.)

Before the meeting, Zelensky told reporters he wanted use the meeting to talk about security guarantees for Kyiv. Sunak replied saying there had been “real progress” on that.

What's a huge diplomatic event without a massive dinner? And it provides the perfect place for some happy photo opportunities - complete with giggles, hugs and kisses.

Let's have a little look at what some of the world's leaders were doing last night:

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA

Arriving at the summit a little earlier, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed reporters to lay out his three priorities for the day:

1. Securing new military aid packages to support Ukraine's forces on the battlefield - the G7 is due to officially sign off more support later
2. Getting an invitation to join Nato as a full member - this has been a key sticking point during this summit
3. Establishing security guarantees for Ukraine from the military alliance

Yesterday Nato accused China of coercive behaviour, threatening Taiwan, and heavily building up its military - and it seems Beijing is not best pleased.

China's foreign ministry urged Nato to stop its "groundless accusations and provocative remarks", according to Reuters news agency.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a regular press briefing, after being asked about a strongly-worded joint statement published by Nato yesterday.

Image source, EPA

Ukraine's hopes to join Nato dominated the conversation at the summit yesterday.

And with a joint press conference between President Volodymyr Zelensky and the head of Nato later, we can expect much of the same.

Here’s a round-up of the key moments from Tuesday:

• President Zelensky issued an impassioned statement over what he sees as "absurd" delays to Kyiv being invited to join the alliance
• Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said Ukraine will join Nato when allies agree and conditions are met
• He also announced Nato was changing Kyiv’s pathway to join from a two-step process to a one-step process
• A Nato-Ukraine council was formed which will see Kyiv and alliance members meet “as equals”, he said
• France announced it would supply Ukraine with long-range missiles
• The UK PM also "commended" Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan after he dropped his veto against Sweden joining Nato

Image source, EPA

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is speaking to various Nato leaders today.

He's currently in a meeting with Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, and is due to meet with UK PM Rishi Sunak soon.

Writing on Twitter earlier, external, Zelensky says he is also due to meet with US, German, Dutch, Japanese and other partners.

"Our defense is a top priority, and I am grateful to our partners for their willingness to take new steps. More weapons for our warriors, more protection of life for the whole of Ukraine!" he says, as G7 members prepare to sign off on a wide-ranging security pact to help Kyiv.

Speaking ahead of the meeting with Zelenksy, Sunak says Kyiv's allies are ramping up their efforts "to protect Ukraine for the long term".

"We can never see a repeat of what has happened in Ukraine and this declaration reaffirms our commitment to ensure it is never left vulnerable to the kind of brutality Russia has inflicted on it again," he adds.

Image source, PA Media

Good morning - it's the second and final day of the Nato summit in Lithuania.

So far, the summit has been dominated by Ukraine's potential membership of the alliance.

Nato stopped short of providing a timeframe for Kyiv to join, provoking the anger of President Volodymyr Zelensky.

But G7 leaders will sign a wide-ranging security pact with Ukraine on the side-lines of the summit later.

And we'll have the first meeting of the Nato-Ukraine council - the head of the alliance Jens Stoltenberg said members would meet with Kyiv as equals today.

There's lots going on, stay with us as we bring you all the day’s key updates.

Jamie Whitehead
Live reporter

We're going to pause our live coverage of the Nato summit here for today.

You can catch a recap of all the key points in our main story here.

Updates were brought to you by Andre Rhoden-Paul, Emily Atkinson, Rachel Russell, Ali Abbas Ahmadi, Ece Goksedef, and Jaroslav Lukiv and myself.

We'll see you again tomorrow for day two.

Ece Göksedef
Live reporter

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had not been very keen to accept Sweden’s Nato membership bid - but that changed late last night.

Erdogan had cited several reservations, including Sweden’s alleged help to “terror groups”, a limitation on arms sale to Turkey, and a need to improve defence cooperation.

A high-level Turkish diplomatic source tells me the movement on defence cooperation came from the US.

Erdogan and Biden had a phone call on Sunday, alongside three calls between the countries' foreign ministers in the last few days.

Image source, Getty Images

The source said top of the agenda was the sale of F-16s, an American fighter jet that Turkey requested to buy and modernise the existing ones back in 2021. They also said that "the US wanted to solve the issue over Sweden’s Nato membership".

The modernisation kits were approved by the Biden administration right after Turkey approved Finland’s application to Nato in April. Now Turkey is awaiting for 40 new F-16s from the US.

Sweden made some promises, too:

• The embargo on arms sale to Turkey will be lifted
• Sweden promised to support Turkish citizens’ long-awaited request for visa-free travel in Schengen countries, a privilege given to most of the candidate countries
• Only last week, a person who was found guilty of giving financial support to the PKK, a pro-Kurdish armed group that Turkey considers as a terror group, was given a prison sentence

Ali Abbas Ahmadi
Live reporter

I've just finished listening in to Lucy Hockings and Vitaly Shevchenko recording Ukrainecast.

Ukraine's bid for Nato membership is unlikely to be the "quantum leap" Kyiv hopes for at the Nato summit, says Katya Adler, our Europe editor speaking from Vilnius.

General John Allen addresses the US’s controversial decision to give Ukraine cluster bombs, arguing he is confident Kyiv will use them responsibly against Russian forces – and not against civilians like he says Russia has during the war.

And then there’s Russia – a bizarre few weeks following the Wagner group’s mutiny that left our Moscow correspondent Steve Rosenberg astonished.

Tune in to Ukrainecast on BBC Sounds for the full episode.

Image source, Getty Images

The unannounced rally in Vilnius ends with the Ukrainian national anthem and chants of "Glory to Ukraine!"

Many people in the crowd are seen with Ukraine's national blue-and-yellow flags.

Lithuania - together with several other central and eastern European nations - has been one of the staunchest allies of Kyiv since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Image source, Getty Images

More from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who - together with his Lithuanian counterpart Gitanas Nauseda - is addressing a large crowd in Vilnius.

Zelensky says he believes in a "Nato that doesn't hesitate, doesn't waste time and doesn't look back at an aggressor".

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is currently addressing a big crowd in central Vilnius.

"Nato will give Ukraine security. Ukraine will make Nato stronger!" he says to loud cheers.

Jens Stoltenberg made a number of announcements following the first day of Nato's summit in Lithuania.

• He announced a new multi-year assistance programme to help Ukraine's transition to Nato training standards
• A new Nato-Ukraine council will be formed where the alliance and the country will "meet as equals", with the first meeting with President Zelensky happening tomorrow
• He said Ukraine will join Nato when allies agree and conditions are met, and its joining pathway will change from a two-step process to a one-step process
• Stoltenberg describes the announcements as a "strong package for Ukraine and a clear path towards its membership in Nato"
• The secretary general says Nato wants to have 300,000 troops at high readiness and he expects the number of countries committing 2% of GDP to defence will substantially rise next year

The last question Stoltenberg takes is about the conditions that Ukraine doesn’t yet meet to get the invitation.

Stoltenberg says there are two dimensions for it:

"One is the level or to what extent they're addressing to modernise defence and security institutions, to strengthen their governance including fighting corruption."

These have been addressed at every enlargement of Nato, Stoltenberg stresses, "Because we need a strong governance and we also want armed forces which are interoperable with Nato."

He says the other dimension is the fact that a war is going on in Ukraine, adding:"Allies agree when a war is going on that's not the time for making Ukraine a full member of the alliance."

He also says that it was the first time they removed the requirement of a Membership Action Plan for a country in its path to membership.

Even though reporters had more questions to ask, Stoltenberg left the stage as "the leaders needed to go get dinner."

Questions turn now to Sweden's membership bid - which was ratified yesterday by the Turkish president.

"What makes the agreement yesterday historic is that it is a clear indication from President Erdogan," he says.

He also welcomed the president of Finland - the country having joined Nato in April. Stoltenberg says all allies welcomed him.

He also adds members look forward to greeting Sweden as a member "as soon as possible".

Stoltenberg takes a moment to note "the historic sentiment in the room."

Stoltenberg is now asked by Finnish media what the announcement means for countries on the border with Russia.

He replies it is historic for both Finland, and soon Sweden, to be part of Nato.

He says it’s important for the Baltic region to make it safer.

"It's not for Moscow to deny sovereign nations to choose their own path," he adds.

Stoltenberg is again asked about Zelensky's tweet saying it is “absurd” that no timetable is given for Ukraine's bid to join Nato, which we reported earlier.

The Nato head answers by saying that they are providing a very substantial package with many different elements which helps Ukraine move towards Nato membership.

He says they are giving Ukraine very practical support.

He adds that there has never been a stronger message from Nato at any time, both on political and concrete practical support.

"If you look at all the membership processes they are not based on timelines, they are conditions-based as it has always been," he adds.

We're moving to a question and answer session now.

The Washington Post is up first. What are Stoltenberg's thoughts on President Zelensky's tweet, in which he called the lack of timeline for Ukraine's Nato bid "absurd”, their reporter asks.

Stoltenberg says allies have agreed "a strong, united and positive message for Ukraine" as well as a "positive path forward for membership".

An invitation to Ukraine will be issued when conditions are met, he reiterates.

The most urgent task now is to ensure that Ukraine prevails, he says.