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At the NATO Summit, member nations agreed to expedite Ukraine's membership but didn't provide a timeline due to the ongoing war with Russia. The membership action plan requirement was dropped, simplifying the process. Controversy arose over the US supplying Ukraine with cluster munitions, and NATO allies are expected to set a minimum defense spending of 2% of GDP, a target Canada isn't meeting.
Here are the key points from the video:
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At the NATO Summit in Lithuania, member nations agreed to let Ukraine join the alliance and to fast-track the process. However, they did not issue an official invitation or any clear timeline for membership.
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NATO members made it clear that Ukraine can't join while it's involved in an active war because that would immediately bring all NATO members into direct conflict with Russia.
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Sweden was allowed to join NATO after Turkey, which had been blocking its membership, agreed to drop its veto in return for concessions from Sweden, including the lifting of a ban on arms sales.
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There was controversy over the US decision to give Ukraine cluster munitions, some of which failed to explode. Canada disagreed with this decision, citing a treaty banning such weapons.
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Ukraine's defense minister pointed out that Russia has been using cluster munitions since the start of the war and promised they'd only be used on Ukraine's own territory, away from built-up areas.
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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg laid out a simpler path to membership for Ukraine but did not provide a clear timeline for full membership.
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The requirement for a membership action plan was dropped, which is seen as a positive indication of how NATO views Ukraine.
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The allies are expected to agree that 2% of GDP is the floor for defense spending, not just the target. Canada is nowhere near this target and has no plan to get there.
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The US controversially sent cluster munitions to Ukraine, a type of weapon that Canada and 123 other nations pledged to prohibit back in 2008.
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