Volodymyr Zelenskiy had to put a brave face on it, after being petulantly accused of ingratitude by British defence secretary Ben Wallace, but last week’s Nato summit was a disappointment for Ukraine’s president and the embattled country he leads. Nato’s repeated failure to offer an unambiguous timetable for Kyiv’s full membership will be seen by the Kremlin as a weak hedging of bets. It will probably be exploited in any future talks to end the war.
To be sure, Ukraine received pledges of long-term support, more weaponry and G7 assistance, and the halfway house of a Ukraine-Nato council. “We’re not going anywhere. You’re stuck with us,” US president Joe Biden joked. But Zelenskiy’s dutiful laughter seemed a little forced. Sincere though he is, Biden cannot be sure of keeping his promise. In 18 months’ time, US policy under a less supportive Republican successor could be very different.
