“As long as the conflict continues on European territory, Ukraine cannot become a member of NATO,” Thierry Breton, the EU’s commissioner for internal market, said on Monday.
“Otherwise, under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, this will mean entry into the conflict of all of the countries in the alliance,” he added.
Article 5 is the line in the organization’s founding charter that provides for collective defense of all members: triggering Article 5 means all 31 members of the alliance will come to the defense of their fellow member under attack. It has only been invoked once, by the United States following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks carried out by the Al-Qaeda* terrorist network.
Breton added that Ukraine “understands” this, despite Kiev’s recent outbursts criticizing the alliance for being indecisive and slow to act.
Indeed, NATO and several key member states have repeatedly reiterated that serious changes have to happen in Ukraine before it will be considered for admission into NATO - as its constitution now enshrines as a goal - or to the European Union.
Although the EU is not an alliance, the politico-economic bloc maintains standards for membership similar to NATO, including functioning democratic systems, efforts to curb corruption and graft, and a lack of internal conflict inside its borders.
Despite a consciousness about the risks of open war with Russia if Ukraine were made into a formal ally, the NATO powers have continued to funnel weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, effectively turning them into a proxy force for fighting Russia.
*Al-Qaeda, (also al-Nusra Front, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham) is a terrorist organization banned in Russia and many other countries.