Ukraine to rely on security guarantees from individual G7 allies until it joins NATO

He didn't get everything he wanted, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy left the NATO summit in Lithuania on Wednesday with fresh guarantees of allied support and weapons to continue the war with Russia.

His government had asked to be admitted to NATO on an expedited basis, alongside Finland and Sweden.

No such invitation was presented during the two-day gathering but NATO assured Ukraine it's committed to letting it join when conditions allow it — meaning at the conclusion of the war.

It did remove one condition of membership for Ukraine — a set of political, economic and military goals that members must meet before entry. But the alliance did not set a timeline for accepting Ukraine.

Going into the summit Tuesday, Zelenskyy, who apparently had seen a draft of what was on offer, complained bitterly about the plan.

He dialled back his criticism on Wednesday, when he appeared to answer questions alongside NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

"We can state that the results of the summit are good, but if there was an invitation, that would be ideal," Zelenskyy said.

"[The] Ukrainian delegation is bringing home significant security victory for the Ukraine, for our country, for our people, for our children."

Instead of membership, Ukraine will have to rely for the moment on a framework of security guarantees from individual G7 allies until it is allowed to join the military alliance.

A declaration by the world's richest, most-industrialized democracies sets out how allies will support Ukraine over the coming years to end the war and deter and respond to any future attack.

Ahead of the decision, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the security assurances are not a substitute for NATO membership.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Zelenskyy ahead of the inaugural meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, an organization that will help coordinate support for Zelenskyy's government.

"One of the messages that we want to continue to send directly to Vladimir Putin is that Canada will be there for Ukraine alongside our other allies, with as much as it takes for as long as it takes," Trudeau told reporters as the summit concluded.

There's no indication at the moment of the sort of security guarantees Canada intends to negotiate with Ukraine.

"It starts with the G7 standing together to say we are committing to these multi-year assurances. Other countries are encouraged, invited to join and make their own commitments to Ukraine's long term security," Trudeau said.

"In regards to Canada, we will be discussing and working on the next steps on how to announce the details of our multi-year commitment."

Defence Minister Anita Anand echoed his comments.

"Canada will continue to support Ukraine in any way it can, including, and on a priority basis, with supplying Ukraine with military aid," Anand said ahead of the release of the G7 declaration. "That's what we've been doing, as you know, and that's what we will continue to do."

She wouldn't say if Canada was disappointed by the lack of timelines for Ukraine's membership.

"Our stalwart support for Ukraine means at this moment ... we are going to continue to support them on the battlefield. We are going to continue to support them with humanitarian aid and economic aid," she said.

In response to the G7 initiative, the Kremlin said Wednesday that security guarantees would bring NATO a step closer to a direct confrontation with Russia.

U.S. President Joe Biden praised the framework, saying it lays the groundwork for the Ukraine's eventual membership in NATO.

"We're going to help Ukraine build a strong, capable defence across land, air and sea, from which we'll force stability in the region and deter against any and all threats. And then we're going to be there as long as that takes," Biden said.

While it's not the full NATO membership invitation Zelenskyy had been asking for, Biden said, it's the best solution in the face of the ongoing war with Russia and fears of escalation — a gesture that Moscow will understand.

"I think it's a powerful statement, a powerful statement of our commitment to Ukraine, as it defends its freedom today, and as it rebuilds the future," he said.

Zelenskyy also left the summit with additional, specific pledges of military support — including another Patriot missile battery from Germany and a promise from Canada to educate young Ukrainian officers at the Royal Military College in St-Jean, Que.

Whether the summit was truly a success for Ukraine will depend on the individual security treaties and what each G7 country is prepared to offer.

It's now up to allies to deliver on those promises swiftly, said the former commander of the U.S. Army in Europe.

"The responsibility is on the president as well as on your nation's leadership to clarify," said retired lieutenant-general Ben Hodges.

"And when they say we're with you for as long as it takes, what an empty, meaningless statement. I mean as long as it takes what? What does that mean?"