14:42 10.01.2022

NATO helping Ukraine meet criteria for membership – Stoltenberg

2 min read
NATO helping Ukraine meet criteria for membership – Stoltenberg

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg assures that the Alliance is helping Ukraine in achieving the criteria necessary for membership in the organization, while the allies and Ukraine will decide on membership, and no one else has the right to say anything about it.

He voiced this position in Brussels on Monday before the start of a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine commission, which will be held with the participation of Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, answering a question from Interfax-Ukraine about whether the time has come for NATO to provide Ukraine with the Membership Action Plan (MAP) as part of the containment policy towards the Russian Federation.

With regard to the membership Stoltenberg said that the NATO had confirmed that it supports the decision taken at the 2008 Bucharest summit. He added that they are helping Ukraine move towards NATO membership through reforms, achieving NATO standards. He also reiterated that they had made it clear they would never compromise regarding the right of any state in Europe to choose its own path. Therefore, it is fundamental that this principle should not be violated in any way, which means that it is up to Ukraine and thirty NATO allies to decide when Ukraine is ready for membership, he said, adding that nobody has the right to say anything about this.

The Secretary General recalled that the Alliance continues to provide support to Ukraine - political support for its territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as practical assistance.

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