Leaders of the nations comprising NATO will meet for a two-day summit beginning on July 11, 2023.
The gathering in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, comes at a pivotal moment for the Western security alliance – it is seeking to expand membership and confront challenges ranging from the ongoing war in Ukraine to a perceived growing military threat from China.
No doubt NATO members will want to present a united front at the meeting. But on a number of key issues, not everyone is in agreement. Here are some of the issues likely to be discussed and debated during the leaders’ summit.
1. A pathway to Ukraine membership?
With war in Europe the obvious backdrop to the summit, much talk will be about Ukraine. NATO members have been aiding Kyiv individually, through the supply of arms and aid. And the military alliance has been assisting through nonlethal support, such as medical supplies and training.
But, as noted by Mark Webber, professor of international politics at the UK’s University of Birmingham, what many in Kiev really want is full membership: “The bigger prize for Ukraine, however, is NATO membership. That would bring the country within the collective d