Ukraine's future is in NATO. All Allies agree on this - NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg
The NATO Secretary General has visited Ukraine for the first time since the full-scale war. Stoltenberg began his visit to Ukraine with a visit to de-occupied Bucha.
At a joint briefing with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that during the talks, he and Stoltenberg had discussed four main issues:
1. The Ramstein meeting on April 21, at which, according to Zelenskyy, Ukraine expects its partners to make decisions regarding military support.
Stoltenberg said that he, in turn, also expects NATO members and partners to announce tangible military support for Ukraine on 21 April.
2. Indecision of partners on Ukraine's defence. The President asked the NATO Secretary General to help overcome the "restraint of partners" in supplying weapons, including long-range weapons, modern aircraft, artillery, and armoured vehicles.
"Slowing down the relevant decisions means time lost for peace and the lives of our soldiers who have not yet received the necessary defence tools," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
3. The NATO Summit to be held in July in Vilnius. Zelenskyy thanked for the invitation to attend the summit and stressed the importance of Ukraine receiving an offer to join the Alliance.
"There is no objective barrier that would prevent a political decision to issue an invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance. And right now, when the majority of people in NATO countries support our country's accession to NATO. It is time for appropriate decisions," the President of Ukraine said.
Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine is not considering alternatives to full membership in NATO.
4. Security guarantees for Ukraine on its way to NATO.
"These security guarantees in no way replace or postpone Ukraine's membership in NATO. While decisions are being implemented, security is already needed - and this is necessary not only for our country but for everyone in Europe and the entire free world. It was the security uncertainty that fuelled the illusions of the aggressor," the President of Ukraine said.
Jens Stoltenberg stressed that NATO stands with Ukraine and will support Ukraine in its post-war reconstruction.
Since February 2022, NATO Allies have provided more than €150 billion in support, including €65 billion in military assistance.
Stoltenberg and Zelenskyy also discussed a multi-year assistance initiative to help Ukraine transition from Soviet-style weapons to NATO standards and ensure full interoperability with the Alliance.
Photo: The Kyiv Independent | Twitter
