On April 29, the NATO Secretary General is visiting Kyiv.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg believes that Ukraine rightfully belongs in the Alliance, so all relevant measures are currently underway to accelerate the country’s membership in the organization. He announced this at a joint press conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“I believe that Ukraine rightfully belongs in NATO. We will do everything to ensure Ukraine’s membership in the Alliance. For this decision to be adopted, it is necessary for all NATO members to agree. We need consensus. Not a majority, but all 32 NATO members to agree,” Stoltenberg said.
The NATO Secretary-General noted that he is not sure that such consensus will be reached during the summit in July. According to him, the Alliance will be able to demonstrate during the summit that Ukraine is moving closer to membership, and that ‘this day will come as soon as possible.’
At the same time, the NATO Secretary-General emphasized the need for Ukraine to become as interoperable as possible and fully meet all NATO standards. And when the political conditions are met, Ukraine will become a member of the Alliance.
“What we are doing now in terms of military support is part of meeting Ukraine’s urgent needs. And we are discussing how we can further enhance our military support. And also, so that we can ensure the supply of forces and capabilities that will in the future secure the place of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Alliance,” stated Stoltenberg.
In this context, he reminded of the decisions made at the NATO summit in Vilnius, including the cancellation of the Membership Action Plan for Ukraine. At that time, allies established the Ukraine-NATO Council and adopted an Enhanced Assistance Program to enhance interoperability between the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the armed forces of NATO countries.