Turkey NATO Summit May Launch Ukraine's Accession Process

NATO Needs Ukraine More Than People Realise
Diane Francis, a foreign policy expert at the Atlantic Council, has been making the case that the relationship between NATO and Ukraine isn't one-sided. "NATO needs Ukraine," she said plainly, pointing out that Kyiv has quietly become one of the most battle-hardened and technologically advanced military forces in the world. Years of fighting have turned Ukraine into something NATO genuinely values — not a country asking for a favor, but one bringing real capability to the table.

Francis said she had no doubt Ukraine would eventually become a full NATO member. That conviction has only grown as President Donald Trump signals a reduced appetite for leading Europe's defense, which means European members will need to carry more weight themselves. Countries like Poland, Britain, France, and Turkey are expected to step up. Trump's complaints about European defense spending, Francis acknowledged, weren't entirely off base — many alliance members had long fallen short of their commitments.

The Turkey Summit and What It Could Mean
Francis described the upcoming Turkey meeting as possibly the most consequential NATO summit in the alliance's entire history. Strong words — but she backed them up. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's recent visit to Estonia was telling, she noted, because Nordic and Baltic states are among Ukraine's most vocal supporters. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania sit on NATO's eastern flank. They understand better than most what Russian aggression looks like up close, and so does Poland.

Francis suggested Ukraine could walk away from Turkey with more than just encouraging words. The actual start of a formal accession process could be on the table. That said, she was honest about the pace. NATO moves carefully when it comes to anything that might be seen as directly provoking Russia, and decisions within the alliance tend to take time because consensus among dozens of member states is never simple.

Still, her overall message was clear. Europe needs to stay united, hold its nerve, and accept what is increasingly obvious — Ukraine belongs in NATO, and the sooner that process begins, the better.