NATO stops short of Ukraine invitation, angering Zelenskyy

NATO leaders say Ukraine should be able to join the military alliance in the future but stopped short of offering Kyiv an immediate invitation, angering President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The leaders of the 31 member states began a two-day summit in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, on Tuesday as Ukrainian troops struggle to make significant gains in a counteroffensive against Russian forces occupying parts of their country.
“Ukraine’s future is in NATO,” the leaders said in a declaration, but they offered no timeline for the process.
“We will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance when allies agree and conditions are met,” the declaration said without specifying the conditions.
NATO did drop a requirement for Ukraine to fulfil what is called a membership action plan, effectively removing a hurdle on Kyiv’s way into the alliance.

Al Jazeera’s Jonah Hull reports from Vilnius, Lithuania.

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