Former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has suggested a scenario in which Ukraine could become a member of the Alliance, despite the fact that some of its territories will remain temporarily occupied. He said this in an interview with the Financial Times, UNN reports .
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According to Stoltenberg, in the case of Ukraine's membership, there are ways to solve the problem of applying Article 5 on collective security (which is why the United States and Germany oppose Ukraine's accession), “if there is a line that is not necessarily an internationally recognized border.
He recalled that the United States has security guarantees for Japan that do not apply to the Kuril Islands (Tokyo considers them Japanese territory controlled by the aggressor country, Russia).
In addition, Stoltenberg mentioned West Germany as an example, which considered East Germany to be part of a larger Germany. At the same time, NATO only defended West Germany, he said.
According to Stoltenberg, “when there is a will, there are ways to find a solution,” but “there needs to be a line that defines where Article 5 applies, and Ukraine should control all the territory up to that border.
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