No third country has right to veto NATO membership, Ukraine can determine its future foreign policy independently – US Secretary of Defense

14:17, 19.10.2021 1 min read

No third countries have the right to influence Ukraine's determination of its future foreign policy, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said, commenting on the reaction of Russia to the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO.

"No third country has the right to veto NATO membership. Ukraine, as I have already noted, has the right to decide its future foreign policy without external interference. I will say that our support for Ukrainian sovereignty is unshakable and we will continue to work together for in order to assure that we are in the right place, and Ukraine can defend itself," Austin said at a joint briefing with Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Taran in Kyiv on Tuesday.