Diplomats involved in the talks told the FT this week that foreign ministers were actively debating in Brussels what exactly Ukraine should be offered.
Allies agree they cannot seriously discuss Ukraine while its NATO member state is at war.
Two people who attended the meetings told the “FT” that support was growing for Ukraine to offer a “political path” to NATO membership at the Vilnius summit. This will strengthen ties between the alliance and Kiev. However, the same sources say the US and Germany and Hungary oppose the plan.
U.S. objections stem from concerns that Kiev’s deepening ties with NATO amid the ongoing war could reinforce Putin’s narrative of a struggle between Russia and NATO and lead to an escalation of the conflict, including the possible deployment of nuclear weapons.
Instead, the U.S. is urging allies to focus on short-term military, financial, and humanitarian aid to Ukraine that helps counter and ultimately deter Russian aggression.
U.S. officials say the top priority at the Vilnius summit should be practical aid to Ukraine, such as munitions supplies, and that discussions of post-war political relations will divert from that goal.
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