‘NOT AUTOMATIC’

Biden’s ‘Not Going to Make It Easier’ for Ukraine to Join NATO

“I think they’ve done everything relating to demonstrating the ability to coordinate militarily, but there’s a whole issue of is their system secure?” the U.S. president said.

President Joe Biden has some confidence in Ukraine’s ability to join NATO, but he’s made it clear that it’s “not automatic,” according to The Hill. The president stressed to reporters on Saturday that the war-torn nation will need to “meet the same standards” as everyone else in the intergovernmental alliance. “I’m not going to make it easier,” Biden said. “I think they’ve done everything relating to demonstrating the ability to coordinate militarily, but there’s a whole issue of is their system secure? Is it non-corrupt? Does it meet all the standards?” Two U.S. officials previously told Politico Biden was “open” to removing the Membership Action Plan, which requires countries interested in joining to make military and democratic reforms, as a hurdle for Ukraine. His latest comments now appear to contradict reports that he will help chart an easy path for Kyiv’s NATO membership.