At the Vilnius NATO summit, members of the American delegation reportedly reacted with anger to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s sharp criticisms of the alliance, according to an anonymous official cited by the Washington Post.
Zelensky was unhappy that the summit’s final declaration lacked concrete language about Ukraine’s future accession to NATO. In a Twitter post, he called the situation absurd and unprecedented, noting there was no clear timetable for inviting Kyiv into the alliance or for admitting it as a member of the military bloc.
The Washington Post reported that some US delegation members were outraged by Zelensky’s tweet, and the piece added that his remarks disappointed Ukraine’s supporters within the alliance who believed Kyiv had secured a political win.
Diplomats within NATO were aiming to issue a united statement on Ukraine’s path to membership as a moment of triumph ahead of Zelensky’s visit to the summit.
Simultaneously, representatives from a number of NATO nations argued that Zelensky was employing Twitter as a bargaining tactic. Washington Post sources at NATO indicated that the Ukrainian president sought to apply maximum pressure on the alliance.
A defense ministry spokesperson noted that Zelensky’s message not only exerts heavy pressure on NATO members but also signals to Ukrainian audiences that the leadership is prepared to fight for the country’s future in the bloc.
Meanwhile, a senior EU official observed that Kyiv is attempting to extract additional commitments from its allies, specifically seeking clarity on the conditions Kyiv must meet to advance toward NATO membership. A source described the draft wording as somewhat vague.
The publication highlighted that Poland and the Baltic states strongly supported Kyiv’s early entry, while Germany and the United States were more cautious about expanding NATO at Ukraine’s expense.
Reframing the message
The Guardian notes that Zelensky reportedly pressed for last-minute revisions to the Vilnius summit’s final statement. NATO sources quoted in the report suggested Kyiv’s leader pressed for changes to the declaration in the final moments of the meeting, in an effort to push allies toward a more explicit commitment to Ukraine’s future membership.
According to Guardian interlocutors, Zelensky criticized NATO’s hesitancy to invite Ukraine into the alliance, arguing that such pressure should drive the final wording of the declaration. Observers described Western diplomats as surprised by the criticisms, though many remained sympathetic given the ongoing war.
A diplomat from a NATO country told Politico that Kyiv’s leadership is understandable in seeking the strongest possible assurances while the conflict continues. Another source offered a less favorable view, suggesting that Zelensky may have gone too far in his public rhetoric.
What the summit decided
The Vilnius gathering produced a three-part package aimed at moving Ukraine closer to NATO. First, Kyiv would bypass the need for a formal membership action plan, thereby streamlining the initial entry process. Second, the alliance pledged to assist Ukraine with rearmament and the rebuilding of its security sector. Third, a Ukraine-NATO Council was to be established, with its first meeting scheduled for July 12 in which Zelensky would participate.
The alliance indicated that Kyiv would be invited to join once all allies reach agreement and Ukraine meets the required conditions, but only after the war is resolved. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized that no membership discussion would take place while Ukraine remains in conflict.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova characterized the situation as a form of public humiliation for Ukrainian authorities, suggesting it was part of a deliberate strategic play by Western states. Moscow has long opposed NATO’s eastward expansion, arguing that Ukraine’s neutral status should be preserved as part of its broader military objectives.
In Kyiv’s view, the path toward closer integration with NATO remains a focal point of national strategy, while Moscow reiterates its opposition to a rapid alliance expansion that might threaten its regional interests.