The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) said on Wednesday that he expected a “good solution” for the future integration of Ukraine into the Atlantic Alliance at the alliance summit, scheduled for July, foreseeing a “program year of reforms by the Ukrainian authorities.
“The talks are ongoing and I am confident that we will find a good solution at the summit” of NATO, which will take place on July 11 and 12 in the Lithuanian capital, declared Jens Stoltenberg.
Speaking ahead of the NATO Defense Ministers meeting, which takes place on Thursday and Friday in Brussels, the Secretary General of the Atlantic Alliance noted that “the most urgent task now is to ensure that Ukraine prevails as an independent and sovereign nation because, Unless Ukraine prevails and can remain a democratic state in Europe, there is no accession to be discussed.”
“Then I also hope that the allies agree to a multi-year program where we help Ukraine make the transition in terms of rules, equipment, procedures and strong doctrines. […] and by doing so, of course, we are bringing Ukraine closer to NATO,” said Jens Stoltenberg.
An eventual integration of Ukraine into NATO can only be achieved at the end of the war in Ukraine, since the Atlantic Alliance is governed by article 5, which provides for the reaction of the Allies to an armed attack against one of the members.
The NATO leader declined to address “the different elements or conclusions” about this future integration, precisely because consultations are still taking place within the Atlantic Alliance, but he stressed that the Allies “agree on many things regarding accession of Ukraine”, as a fact that “the door is open” and that Kiev will be “a member of the alliance” in the future.
In addition, “we all agree that it is up to […] It is up to the NATO allies to decide when the right time is for Ukraine to become a member of the alliance,” said Jens Stoltenberg.
Source: TSF
