Polish deputy FM slams Germany’s 2008 decision to deny Ukraine’s NATO accession

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Piotr Wawrzyk, believes that if Germany hadn't blocked Ukraine's entry into NATO, there would be no war in Ukraine today, according to PAP. The German Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, stated that now is not the best time for NATO to make a decision about Ukraine's membership. The Polish Deputy Foreign Minister criticized Pistorius' comments, stating that the time for a decision on Ukraine's membership will come eventually, and Germany's past actions have contributed to the current situation.

"When will the time come for this "cold head"? In 5, 10, or 30 years after the end of the war?" noted Piotr Wawrzyk. "If Germany had not calculated things the way they do now, if they had not tried to block Ukraine's entry into NATO, if many years ago in Munich, Ukraine had received an invitation to the Alliance, then there would be no war in Ukraine today," he added.

According to him, there is a continuation of the old approach of Western European countries. "It is known that Western European countries, France, and Germany, in general, have always been against Ukraine's accession to the EU or NATO," Wawrzyk said. Hungary has also threatened to block Ukraine's NATO membership due to claims of mistreatment of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg recently visited Kyiv and expressed support for Ukraine's membership in the Alliance. The issue of Ukraine's membership will be discussed at the July summit in Vilnius, but the priority remains ensuring Ukraine's victory in the ongoing war.