Germany fears Ukraine’s bid to join NATO could ‘escalate’ war with Russia

Concerns over Article 5 trigger Germany’s call for a process to block Ukraine’s NATO membership (Image: Getty) Germany is anticipated to push for a postponement of Ukraine’s NATO membership due to fears that such a move could exacerbate relations with Russia and possibly spark a war. According to sources within the coalition, Berlin will use the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania to push for a focus on giving Ukraine security guarantees rather than quickly pursuing membership. Berlin is said to be hesitant to provide instant membership and instead prefers to pursue a procedure that enables the creation of safeguards to prevent Ukraine ‘s admission. Germany’s strategy is motivated by its desire to keep Russian President Vladimir Putin from putting the NATO alliance to the test. According to Article 5, a member state has the right to ask for military assistance from its allies if it is under assault by an outside aggressor. Joe Biden has emphasised his desire to prevent a situation in which “we’re all in the war, we’re in a war with Russia ,” expressing identical fears as Germany. The US President added that Ukraine is not yet ready to join NATO and that it would take some time for them to be. In keeping with this, Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, made it clear that the summit’s goal was not to start a third world war and that Ukraine would not immediately join NATO as a result of the gathering. Zelensky urges NATO member states to support Ukraine’s bid for membership (Image: Getty) Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak will use the Nato summit in Lithuania to urge allies to increase their defence spending as he warns they face “unprecedented” security challenges. The Prime Minister will meet with leaders in Lithuania on Tuesday for talks that will feature support for Ukraine and its future membership of the defensive alliance. He will first host Joe Biden in the UK after the US president committed to sending Kyiv cluster munitions, despite many Nato allies prohibiting their use. Mr Sunak said Britain “discourages” the weapons as one of the 123 signatories of a convention banning the bombs for their devastating impact on civilians. The White House said Mr Biden will “compare notes” with Mr Sunak on the Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russia . The president will also meet the King in Windsor Castle. At the summit in Vilnius, Downing Street said that Mr Sunak will ask allies to up their defence spending to ensure it is prepared for future threats. In a statement, the Prime Minister said: “As we face new and unprecedented challenges to our physical and economic security, our alliances are more important than ever. “The UK is Europe’s leading Nato ally, we are the United States’ most important trade, defence and diplomatic partner, and we are at the forefront of providing Ukraine with the support they need to succeed on the battlefield. “We have forged and invested in these alliances because we know they are the foundation of our strength and security. And I will continue to lead a United Kingdom which puts our international relationships at the heart of delivering for the British people.” The UK is among a minority of Nato members that meets the alliance’s commitment to spend at least 2 percent of national income on defence. Estimates for last year had France, Germany and Spain as included in those not meeting the target.