The Nato summit was not the triumph that Zelensky hoped it would be

The Ukraine president found his efforts to join the bloc frustrated, writes Mary Dejevsky. But the event did have its uses

While President Zelensky left Lithuania a disappointed man, Nato showed it is at least trying to avoid the Ukraine conflict spiralling into a wider war (AP)

When they met for their summit in Vilnius this week, Nato leaders appeared to have just one item left on their agenda – how, when, and even whether to admit Ukraine.

Advance discussions had ensured that before anyone even arrived in Lithuania, the US had agreed to supply F-16 warplanes to Turkey, Turkey had lifted its block on Sweden’s membership, and everyone had agreed to keep the current secretary general for another year. Ukraine would be front and central, and President Zelensky was there in person, with his wife, to claim the honours.

Except that Ukraine was not in fact the only, or even the main, item on Nato’s agenda. The bigger, but unstated, question was how to stand by Ukraine while avoiding a war between Nato and Russia. So much was admitted by the US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, who told CNN afterwards that if Ukraine were admitted to the alliance now, Nato’s famous mutual defence clause would oblige members to join a direct war with Russia.