Ukraine’s future is in NATO, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg stressed on Thursday during his first visit to the country since the start of the large-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russia.
“Let’s be clear: Ukraine’s rightful place is in the Euro-Atlantic family. Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO. And over time, our support will help you make this possible,” Stoltenberg told reporters at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kiev.
Stoltenberg pledged continued military support for Ukraine, saying that to date NATO allies have trained tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops and provided 65 billion euros ($71.31 billion). dollars) in military aid only.
“NATO is with you today, tomorrow and for as long as it takes,” Stoltenberg said after inviting Zelenskyy to the NATO summit in Vilnius in July.
According to Stoltenberg, the summit agenda will include the issue of Ukraine’s NATO membership and reliable security guarantees for the country.
In 2008, at the NATO summit in Bucharest, it was decided that Ukraine would eventually become a member of the alliance.
Since then, however, the leaders have taken no concrete steps, such as providing Kiev with an action plan that would set a timetable for the country’s entry into NATO.
Stoltenberg stressed that it is not known when the war will end, but that Russian aggression must be stopped.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it was time for NATO to make a political decision to invite Ukraine into the military alliance, and that Kiev wants to know when membership will be possible.
After receiving an invitation to the NATO summit in Vilnius in July, the Ukrainian leader said the summit could become “historic”.
“I am grateful for the invitation to participate in the summit,” he told reporters during Stoltenberg’s visit to Kiev. “There is not a single objective obstacle to a political decision to invite Ukraine into the alliance, and now that most people in NATO countries and most Ukrainians support joining NATO, the time has come to take appropriate decisions.”
“We view this visit by the Secretary General, the first since a full-scale war, as a sign that the alliance is ready to begin a new chapter in relations with Ukraine, a chapter of historic decision,” he said. said Zelenskyy, adding that Ukraine also wants security guarantees on the way to NATO membership.
Zelenskyy urged Stoltenberg to put pressure on some members of the alliance, which he says are slow to supply Kiev with heavy weapons.
“Delay in taking appropriate decisions is wasted time for peace, and it means the lives of our soldiers, who have still not been provided with the necessary defensive means in the right amount,” he said.
Read the Ukraine War News Latest Today on The Eastern Herald.
