NATO's unity will be tested at summit in Vilnius
The IndependentSign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “So I think the invasion has strengthened NATO — exactly the opposite of what Putin anticipated.” He noted Germany’s shift toward a more robust defense policy as well as other countries’ increase in military spending. Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, described the summit as “an important moment on that pathway toward membership" and that allies need to “discuss the reforms that are still necessary for Ukraine to come up to NATO standards.” NATO could use the occasion to elevate its relationship with Ukraine, creating what would be known as the NATO-Ukraine Council and giving Kyiv a seat at the table for consultations. Sullivan said the U.S. is confident that Sweden will join NATO “in the not-too-distant future,” but it's unclear if the matter will be resolved during the summit. It's the biggest revision since the Cold War, and Skip Davis, a former NATO official who is now a senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, said it could involve “lots of arm wrestling and card trading.” “That’s an issue that will cause tension and dissent, and that’s not what the Vilnius summit is all about," he said.