UK could support shorter route for Ukraine to join Nato, Cleverly says

The move would support Ukraine's application for 'accelerated accession' to Nato

Britain's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly speaks during the Economic Transformation: Transparency And Reform For Private Sector-Led Growth session. Getty Images

The UK could support Ukraine dropping a stage to speed up its accession to Nato, the Foreign Secretary indicated.

The UK would be “very supportive” if it was decided Kyiv did not need to go through the membership action plan stage of the process to join Nato, James Cleverly said during a conference on Ukrainian reconstruction.

“We have seen Ukraine evolve, and evolve incredibly quickly,” he told a press conference during the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London.

“Jens Stoltenberg, at the Nato informal foreign ministers (summit), said that actually, many of the requirements of membership action plan are actually being delivered.

“The reform of their armed forces is happening whilst engaged in conflict.

“I think the UK’s position would be very, very supportive if we moved on from the membership action plan, recognising that the offer to both Sweden and Finland didn’t require that and Ukrainians have demonstrated their commitment to reform the military for requirement of Nato membership through their actions on the battlefield.

“And I think all Nato allies recognise that.”

A look at the Nato military alliance - in pictures

A solemn welcoming ceremony of US soldiers at Adazi military base, Latvia, on February 25, 2022. More than 300 soldiers of the 173rd Air Force Brigade arrived to demonstrate the US commitment to defend Nato allies and strengthen Latvia's defence capabilities following Russia's military operation in Ukraine. EPA

US paratroopers in Ukraine's western Lviv region during a Nato-sponsored training exercise in 2020. AP

A US military aircraft takes off at the US Air Base Ramstein, in Landstuhl, Germany, on February 25. US President Joe Biden February 24 authorised the deployment of further armed forces to Germany as part of Nato's response to Russia's military aggression on Ukraine. EPA

Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on February 25. EPA

A convoy of British armoured vehicles of the Royal Welsh Battlegroup on the way to Estonia, driving through Liepupe, Latvia, on February 25. British troops and equipment are heading to Estonia as part of the UK's contribution to strengthen Nato's uplift to Eastern Europe. EPA

Protesters outside a Nato leaders virtual summit in Brussels on February 25. AP

A US Air Force F-35 Lightning II aircraft assigned to the 34th Fighter Squadron receives fuel from a KC-10 Extender aircraft over Poland on February 24. US Air Force/Reuters

US military personnel check an Apache attack helicopter AH-64 during a technical stop on the tarmac at Traian Vuia International Airport in Timisoara, Romania, on February 24. EPA

German soldiers of the Nato enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) Battalion Battle Group in Lithuania attend a ceremony during a visit of German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht to Rukla Military Base, Lithuania, on February 22. EPA

Ukraine has long pushed for both Nato and EU membership as it continues to battle Vladimir Putin’s forces, but western capitals have differing views on the possibility and timeline for Ukraine to join both groups.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who addressed the conference via video link, had earlier urged leaders to have the “courage” to acknowledge that his country is already a key part of their economic and defence alliances.

“We are only waiting for the courage of the alliance leaders to recognise this reality, politically.”

The comments by Mr Cleverly come ahead of a major Nato summit in Lithuania later this summer, in which a compromise on Ukrainian’s route to membership is expected to be brokered.

Nato agreed in 2008 that Ukraine would join the organisation one day, but did not set a date for it to start membership talks.

As the war continued, Ukraine applied for “accelerated accession” to Nato on September 30.

The Map stage is designed to help countries prepare for accession, but it is unclear whether other Nato members would back Ukrainian skipping such a process.

Vladimir Putin says Ukrainian forces have 'no chance'

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Moscow had observed a "lull" in Ukraine's counteroffensive, which began early this month.

Although Ukraine still had some offensive potential, Kyiv understood it had "no chance", Mr Putin said in televised remarks.

His comments came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his army's progress was "slower than desired" but that Kyiv would not be pressured into rushing it.

Mr Putin has begun speaking with increasing frequency about the battlefield situation, perhaps reflecting the fact that the 16-month-old war has reached a critical moment with the launch of Ukraine's long-expected push.

"Oddly enough, at the moment we are seeing a certain lull. This is due to the fact that the enemy is suffering serious losses, both in personnel and equipment," he said.

But he said that Ukraine's offensive potential "has not yet been exhausted, there are also reserves that the enemy is thinking about where and how to introduce".

For the second time in less than a week, he said that the Ukrainian forces had "no chance".

The BBC quoted Mr Zelenskyy as saying in an interview that the military push was not going easily because 200,000 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory had been mined by Russian forces.

"Whatever some might want, including attempts to pressure us, with all due respect, we will advance on the battlefield the way we deem best," he added.

Ukraine says it has reclaimed eight villages so far in its counteroffensive, though only one of these was in the past week.

Contradicting Mr Putin's statement about a lull on the battlefield, British defence intelligence said on Twitter on Wednesday that "intense fighting continues in sectors of southern Ukraine".