Allies set to offer Ukraine ‘more concrete steps’ toward NATO membership at Ramstein meeting

At the Oct. 12 meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, known as the Ramstein group, Kyiv’s allies may propose “more concrete steps for future membership to the alliance (NATO – ed.)”, according to The Washington Post, which cites unnamed Western diplomats.

“NATO countries have been considering ways to give Ukraine more concrete steps for future membership to the alliance — though likely still short of the urgent action Kyiv has requested,” the text reads.

The proposal could be introduced during the 25th regular meeting, which will be the first to feature world leaders from more than 50 allies and partners, including U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Taking place at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany, the meeting comes just weeks before the U.S. presidential elections, prompting Zelenskyy to seek assurances that support for Ukraine will continue. However, Biden is reportedly hesitant to take further steps to bolster Ukraine’s capabilities, the journalists noted.

Meanwhile, the Financial Times, citing diplomatic sources, reported that the Ukrainian government and Western allies are considering a possible compromise. Kyiv could potentially gain NATO membership under a “West German model” in exchange for a diplomatic resolution regarding Russian-occupied territories in the future. 

West Germany joined NATO in 1955, despite being divided into two halves, with the eastern part under quasi-Soviet control. Until the nation’s reunification in 1990, only West Germany was part of  NATO. 

Western diplomats and a growing number of Ukrainian officials believe that substantial security guarantees could form the foundation for peace negotiations. It is suggested that Russia might maintain control over part or all of occupied territory in Ukraine without legal authority.

Kyiv has categorically rejected the Financial Times story. Officials in the President’s Office labeled the prospect of such negotiations with Western partners as “nonsense,” according to Ukrainian media sources.

“No one in the West has officially and explicitly offered Ukraine security guarantees that would prevent further escalation or repetition of the conflict,” they said. “They are even reluctant to provide long-range weapons. Moreover, we are not negotiating sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that a reliable peace in Ukraine is achievable solely based on international law, without any concession of sovereignty or territories.

Meanwhile, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico declared that he will not allow Ukraine to join NATO while he remains in office. Fico believes that Ukraine’s accession to the Alliance could serve as a catalyst for a third world war, as reported by the Slovak publication Pravda.

“There is an ongoing military conflict in a neighboring country where Slavs are being killed, and Europe is significantly supporting this violence,” he added, stressing that the West aims for war in Ukraine to “bring the Russians to their knees.”