Chris Hipkins says Europe ‘unwavering’ in support for Ukraine, despite failed Nato bid

Ukraine has failed to secure a sought-after invitation to join the Nato military alliance, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy​​ blasted the US and its allies for an “absurd” lack of support.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins was in Vilnius, Lithuania, overnight Wednesday, NZ Time, attending a summit of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) leaders. As he met with European leaders on the side of the summit, he had a front row seat to the day’s contention.

Already the Nato summit had proven “historic”, alliance secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said at the outset. A major rift between the countries was resolved on the eve of the summit, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan unexpectedly changed course and confirmed he would no longer stand in the way of Sweden joining Nato.

But the alliance was struggling to put forward a united front for its most significant challenge: how to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

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Zelenskyy, before arriving in Vilnius part-way through the summit’s first day, pushed Nato leaders to progress a 2008 promise to have Ukraine join the alliance, by putting forward a timeline or invitation.

“It’s unprecedented and absurd when timeframe is not set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine’s membership,” he said.

“It seems there is no readiness to neither invite Ukraine to Nato nor to make it a member of the alliance.

“Uncertainty is weakness. And I will openly discuss this at the summit.”

Stoltenberg had been laying out a plan to “increase our practical and political support to Ukraine” before the event, a plan which lacked a timeline and appeared supported by US President Joe Biden.

Biden set the tone in the days prior, saying Ukraine should not join Nato – therefore receiving its security guarantee that an attack against one is an attack against all – while the war continues to rage.

But at the outset of the summit, there appeared contention. Eastern European countries, with their shared history of Soviet rule, were the most strident in pushing for Nato to give Ukraine a clear path to join.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, host of the summit, said in an opening speech it was “time to change the paradigm”.

“A clear pathway to the membership in Nato is something we owe to Ukraine.”

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said Nato could not leave “Ukraine out in the cold”.

Though she understood it “can’t happen while the war is going on”, she said Nato needed to get ready for Ukraine to join when hostilities ceased.

“I’m of the belief that the only security guarantee that is the cheapest and that really works is Nato membership.”

A meeting of the Nato Atlantic Council, which Stoltenberg promised would result in a communique “within hours”, lasted through the afternoon.

As Hipkins met French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the summit late in the afternoon, Macron said the alliance members still needed to finalise the communique.

“This is a message of unity and support for President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people. Concrete support on the ground to win this controversial war, as well as a security guarantee for the future.”

An outcome was produced at the day’s end, with a promised package to advance Ukraine’s aspirations, but without the invitation or timeline Zelenskyy hoped for.

“We will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance when Allies agree and conditions are met,” it read.

Stoltenberg said the plan would change Ukraine’s path to Nato membership from a two-step to a one-step process.

But Zelenskyy remained critical. He said he wanted his faith in “a Nato that does not hesitate, does not waste time and does not look back at any aggressor” to become confident.

“And is that too much to expect?”

Hipkins, speaking to reporters at the close of the day, said he did not want to “get into conversations that Ukraine is having with Nato”. New Zealand is not a member, but a partner, of the alliance.

“I’m hoping to have the opportunity to meet with President Zelenskyy whilst I’m here, I’m sure that we’ll have some useful and constructive discussions.”

But he said it was clear in his meetings with leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Stove, Simonyte, and Macron, there was “absolutely no weakening” in Europe’s support for Ukraine.

“I’ve certainly been heartened by the level of unwavering support I have seen.

As well as meeting Zelenskyy on the summit’s second day, Hipkins is expected to deliver a speech to Nato leaders, the second year in a row a New Zealand leader has been invited to do so.