Zelenskyy criticizes NATO for being slow to admit Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday called NATO’s lack of specificity about when his country would join the alliance “absurd.” He added that “uncertainty is weakness.” NATO leaders have promised that Ukraine will eventually join the alliance, but it can only happen after its war with Russia is over. If Ukraine joined NATO now, it could draw the alliance into the war, sparking an even more disastrous world conflict.

What is the West doing for Ukraine in the meantime? The United States last week announced it was sending cluster munitions to Ukraine despite concerns that the weapons could raise civilian casualties. Cluster munitions are designed to explode in the air and disperse smaller explosives across a wider range. The Pentagon said its cluster bombs are designed to minimize the toll on civilians.

Dig deeper: Read Johanna Huebscher’s report in The Sift about how Sweden will likely soon join NATO.