Nato leaders agreed in a joint statement to offer Ukraine an invitation to join, but remained vague on how and when, wording that essentially marked a victory for President Joe Biden, who said before the summit that Ukraine was not ready to be a member.

The alliance’s leaders, meeting at a summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, had struggled to agree on language about how to describe a timeline and conditions for what everyone agrees will be Ukraine’s eventual membership in Nato.

The leaders of the 31 member states said in their communiqué that Ukraine would receive an invitation “when allies agree and conditions are met”, and that there would be regular reviews of the country’s progress toward meeting Nato standards on democracy and military integration.

The debate has again exposed differences among western allies that have emerged throughout the war, with European states closest to Russia pushing for more and faster support for Ukraine and the Biden administration opting for a more deliberate approach — often to Kyiv’s consternation.

The language is considerably weaker than what President Volodymyr Zelensky has said is necessary amid Russia’s invasion. Earlier on Tuesday, the Ukrainian leader had repeated his frustration over the lack of clarity from Nato, calling it “absurd” and adding, “Uncertainty is weakness”.

Later, as he arrived in Vilnius, the Ukrainian leader appeared to soften his tone, telling a crowd that he had come to Lithuania with “faith in partners” and in a strong Nato that “does not hesitate”.

The wording essentially marked a victory for Biden, who declared last week that “Ukraine isn’t ready for Nato membership”.

While Zelensky wanted more, Nato officials argue that he will have numerous benefits to bring home from this summit, with closer ties to Nato, a firmer commitment to membership and specific offers of longer-term financial and military help.

Asked about Zelensky’s concerns, Jens Stoltenberg, the Nato secretary-general, said that the most important thing now is to ensure that his country wins the war against Russia because “unless Ukraine prevails, there is no membership to be discussed at all”. Stoltenberg said the commitments now were different from the vague promise made in 2008 that Ukraine and Georgia would someday join the alliance.

New York Times News Service