NATO to present security package for Ukraine as a" bridge " to membership-mass media
Kyiv • UNN
NATO plans to offer Ukraine a security package at its upcoming summit, which will serve as a "bridge" to possible membership, but does not guarantee immediate entry.
NATO plans to offer Ukraine a package of security measures at the alliance's annual summit, which will be held this summer in Washington. However, it is expected that it will not accept the country's long-standing request to join the alliance amid the Russian invasion. This is reported by Defense News, reports UNN.
Details
According to US ambassador to NATO Juliana Smith, in addition to presenting the security package in July, about 32 countries are finalizing a number of bilateral agreements to support Ukraine on the eve of the summit. Work has now been completed on 13 agreements.
"The allies will submit a whole package of documents that will serve as a bridge to their membership in the alliance," Smith said on Monday.
She also added that the declaration will use "the wording that we will describe Ukraine's desire for membership.
"Part of the package will be the institutionalization of some types of bilateral support that is currently provided to Ukraine, and its transfer under the command of NATO. Part of this will be working to find new resources for our friends in Ukraine, as well as ensuring that we have made it clear to Moscow that the NATO alliance is not going anywhere," Smith said.
Addition
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky asked to speed up the process of joining the alliance shortly after the full - scale Russian invasion in 2022-at last year's summit in Lithuania, NATO refused him this request. Instead, NATO offered Ukraine a multi-year aid package designed to strengthen its defenses and help it abandon Soviet-era equipment.
On May 31, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine's membership in NATO will be the highest guarantee of its security and ensure the lasting peace and stability necessary for recovery.
