It is time for NATO to pave a clear path for Ukraine's membership, if and when Kyiv wishes, until then it is necessary to be ready to provide security guarantees, in addition to political assurances that will not allow Ukraine to turn into a “gray zone”, an article by Prime Ministers of Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia Mateusz Morawiecki, Petr Fiala, Eduard Heger posted in Foreign Affair magazine reads.

“Nor is it too early to plan for Ukraine’s postwar security guarantees. There will be no investment and sustainable reconstruction in Ukraine unless it is able to defend itself against future aggression,” the article reads.

The prime ministers note that at the upcoming summit in Vilnius, NATO will have to answer “difficult but unavoidable questions” about the future of the Alliance, including its relations with Ukraine and its future strategy towards Russia.

“In 2008, the allies decided that Ukraine’s future (along with Georgia’s) should involve membership in NATO. Now is the time for the alliance to lay out a clear and credible path for Ukraine’s membership, if and when Kyiv wishes and when conditions allow. And until then, we must be ready to provide security guarantees, beyond political assurances, that prevent Ukraine from becoming a gray zone once and for all. Gray zones create opportunities for authoritarian regimes to sow instability and heighten tensions,” it says.

On the issue of Russia, according to the prime ministers, “our longstanding dual-track approach—one that includes both deterrence and dialogue—needs an upgrade.”

“Talking to a wall will not bring a change in Russian behavior. Faced with a defunct dialogue, NATO, as a political-military alliance, must be prepared to adjust its strategy on the go,” the text reads.

It is emphasized that the determination to support Ukraine will also help deter aggression in other parts of the world by sending a signal that “tyrants will not be appeased, be it in Europe, Asia, or anywhere else.”

“In short, peace can come only on Ukraine’s terms. Freezing conflicts is Russia’s favorite way of buying time, by pretending to end a war that it started. A frozen conflict would not bring stability or improve security or economic conditions in the long run,” the heads of states stated.