Meloni suggests extending NATO’s Article 5 protections to Ukraine without granting membership

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has taken the initiative to extend Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty to Ukraine without its formal accession to NATO. Meloni believes that this will ensure Ukraine's long-term and effective security.

Rubryka reports this with reference to Meloni's statement and the Financial Times.

According to Meloni, providing Ukraine with NATO collective security guarantees without formal membership would be more effective than other options, including:

• the introduction of peacekeeping forces to monitor the ceasefire.

"Extending the same protection that NATO countries have to Ukraine would undoubtedly be much more effective, although it would be something different from NATO membership.

I think this would be a stable, long-term, effective security guarantee, much better than some of the proposals that I see," the Italian Prime Minister noted.

When asked about the difference between Meloni's proposal and granting Ukraine full NATO membership, a spokesman for the Italian government explained that the proposal would extend the mutual defense clause to "also protect Ukraine… even in territories outside NATO, regardless of Kyiv's membership."

"Sending unspecified military contingents, British or otherwise, is the most difficult and perhaps least effective solution.

I have said this, repeated it, and ruled out the possibility that Italian troops could be sent in this context," Meloni stressed.

As previously reported, Türkiye is not against Ukraine's membership in the North Atlantic Alliance, but says a realistic approach is needed.

For reference:

Earlier, Rubryka reported that US President-elect Donald Trump shared his views on Ukraine's potential NATO membership, stating that it has consistently been "a big part of the problem" for Russia. He criticized his predecessor, Joe Biden, for supporting Ukraine's accession to NATO.

In turn, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that the North Atlantic Alliance never promised that peace negotiations on the war between Ukraine and the Russian Federation would end with Ukraine's membership in the Alliance.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine will never legally recognize its occupied lands as the territory of the Russian Federation. At the same time, the country is ready to discuss the diplomatic return of the lands if it remains in NATO.

The head of state also noted that if Ukraine does not become a member of the North Atlantic Alliance, it must "build its own NATO."