KYIV, July 6 — Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has expressed disappointment after the decision to exclude President Volodymyr Zelensky from delivering a speech at the upcoming NATO summit, a move that could have lasting effects on relations between Kyiv and the alliance.
According to the record, Ukrainian officials have stated that Ukraine needs concrete commitments, not symbolic gestures. The exclusion comes at a critical moment in the war with Russia, which has cited NATO expansion as a justification for its full-scale invasion.
The decision to sideline Zelensky from the summit speech may embolden Moscow, officials confirmed. Russia has long used NATO’s eastward enlargement as a central argument for its military aggression against Ukraine.
Ukraine has sought deeper integration with NATO since the 2014 Revolution of Dignity, which ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych. In 2017, the country’s parliament amended the constitution to confirm the goal of NATO membership, embedding the aspiration in law.
At the 2023 Vilnius summit, NATO leaders agreed to remove the requirement for a Membership Action Plan for Ukraine, streamlining its path to membership. However, the alliance did not issue an official invitation to Kyiv at that time.
The 2024 summit, according to the statement, is expected to reaffirm that Ukraine will become a member, but without providing a specific timeline. This open-ended commitment has frustrated Ukrainian officials who argue that the war demands urgency.
The exclusion from the speech underscores a broader tension. Kyiv wants a clear political signal that membership is not merely a distant promise. NATO, meanwhile, has been cautious about offering more than incremental steps, wary of provoking a direct confrontation with Russia.
For Ukraine, the summit represents more than a diplomatic engagement. It is a test of whether the alliance is prepared to treat Kyiv as a de facto member while the war continues. The record shows that without concrete commitments, the relationship risks becoming defined by disappointment.
What to watch next: whether NATO leaders at the summit will offer any new security guarantees or military aid packages beyond the standard reaffirmation of the 2023 Vilnius language. The absence of a speaking slot for Zelensky may also shift the diplomatic tone, as Ukraine seeks to maintain pressure on its allies.
