NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told the Ukrainian president that the Atlantic Alliance and Ukraine meet as partners, but looks forward to the day when they meet “as allies”.
“The decisions taken today here in Vilnius mark the beginning of a new chapter in the relationship between NATO and Ukraine. Today we meet as equals, I look forward to the day when we meet as allies.”Jens Stolteberg stated during a joint press conference with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zekensky on the last day of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Summit.
Zelensky and Stoltenberg spoke just before the first meeting of the new NATO-Ukraine Council, a body that puts the country and its allies on an equal footing, even though Ukraine is outside the organisation.
Stoltenberg insisted that an invitation to Ukraine to join NATO would only be made “when the allies agree that the conditions have been met”.
The NATO Secretary General argued that it is necessary to guarantee that “when this war is over” there are “credible commitments” to Ukraine’s security, “so that history does not repeat itself”, and welcomed the commitment of some allies to “provide assistance”. of long-term security” to Kiev.
At the new NATO-Ukraine Council, Jens Stoltenberg explained that this body is different from others, that it can take decisions and meet at the level of heads of state and government, but also at the level of Foreign Affairs, Defense or military level.
“It’s something new, something different, it’s an important political tool for more political integration and decision-making,” Stoltenberg said.
The Secretary General of NATO recalled that the allies have approved a three-part package aimed at bringing Ukraine closer to NATO. standards of the Atlantic Alliance, the new NATO-Ukraine Council and the withdrawal of the Membership Action Plan requirement.
Regarding the coalition of countries made official on Tuesday by 11 member states, including Portugal, to train Ukrainian pilots and technicians of F-16 fighters, Stoltenberg said he had an indication from the Allies that the training will start this summer.
Stoltenberg welcomed the commitment of some allies to provide “long-term security assistance” to Ukraine.
Source: DN
