Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Ukraine and the NATO Summit

Last weekend marked 500 days since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine—a grim landmark that will hang over Vilnius, Lithuania, as leaders of 31 NATO countries assemble for the security alliance’s annual summit. While some member states, especially in Eastern Europe, continue to lobby for Ukraine’s accession to NATO, the United States has already made clear such a move is far-fetched while war remains underway. Even Sweden’s membership is up in the air, with Turkey playing spoiler once again: Ankara says the European Union should create a pathway for it to join the bloc before it agrees to support Stockholm’s bid.

Beyond the fraught questions of membership, however, other issues of consequence will be up for discussion this week. It’s likely that NATO will update its defense posture and begin talks on offering Kyiv security commitments. Some of those plans have originated from the alliance’s former chief, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who has informally advised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Rasmussen is also a contributor to FP’s collection of essays exploring the future of NATO—a roundup that includes takes from Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Russia experts Angela Stent and Liana Fix. Click on the links below to watch or read Rasmussen’s view on expanding NATO, the security alliance’s defense posture, the use of cluster munitions, and how to manage the rise of China.