At the NATO Summit in Vilnius, "a number of things were very important," says the Council's Ivo Daalder on BBC News.
"For the Ukrainian audience it was important that NATO reaffirm terms, not only its commitment to help Ukraine in every possible way to defend itself against this brutal invasion that the Russians launched now more than 500 days ago, but also to not only open the door but to say it's time for Ukraine to think about stepping through that door of membership."
Was the lack of specific timeline a strong enough message?
"I think the timeline, as President Biden said, is months, not years. We will have to see how the counteroffensive that Ukraine is now engaging in will evolved but the idea is that by the end of the year we hope to be in a position in which we have a very serious set of discussions with Ukraine about how this war may either end, or at least how negotiations may be started. And NATO membership is a fundamental part of that."
Daalder adds, "If I were Vladimir Putin, I would not be happy about what happened in Vilnius this week."
--------------------------------------
The Chicago Council on Global Affairs empowers more people to help shape our global future.
This program and the accompanying chat are designed to inspire insightful, active, and civil discussions among live stream viewers. Before submitting your question, please review our terms of use: globalaffairs.org/events/guid...
View all videos and Subscribe to our KZread Channel: / @globalaffairsorg
Support the Council: globalaffairs.org/support-cou...
Get email updates: globalaffairs.org/newsletter-...
Follow us on Twitter: / chicagocouncil
Like us on Facebook: / globalaffairs.org
Follow us on Instagram: / globalaffairscouncil