Recently, Ukraine and its allies were shocked by the words of American leader Joe Biden that peace in the country is possible without NATO membership. The US Permanent Representative finally explained the meaning of this statement to the Alliance Julian Smith.
Points of attention
- Biden believes Ukraine must still fulfil certain conditions to join NATO and implement the necessary reforms.
- It is expected that at the upcoming NATO summit, there will be important changes regarding the perspective of Ukraine's membership in the bloc.
- NATO leaders plan to send a political signal regarding Ukraine's approach to the Alliance and support Kyiv in reforms.
- The NATO summit's decision will not be identical to the previous ones, which indicates a change in the approach to Ukraine's membership.
Biden believes that Ukraine has not yet fulfilled all the requirements for joining NATO
According to the American diplomat, the White House's position regarding Ukraine's membership in the Alliance has not changed.
She also reminded once again that NATO members had already confirmed in 2023 that Ukraine would become a member of the bloc, so Biden's words should not be taken so categorically.
I believe that the president meant in that particular interview the fact that we, the United States, believe that the Ukrainians still have some work to do in order to meet the criteria and implement the reforms that are necessary for NATO membership, explained Julian Smith.
The US ambassador also added that Kyiv, together with its partners, is actively working on implementing the necessary reforms, and the White House notices everything and welcomes Ukraine's progress on this path.
So, the goal remains the same. Obligations remain unchanged. And that is why at the summit you will hear how we will talk a lot about building a "bridge" to membership for our friends in Ukraine, the diplomat stressed.
What Ukraine can expect from the NATO summit
As Julian Smith recently warned, during the meeting of the leaders of the North Atlantic Alliance in Washington, there will be important changes in the wording regarding the prospect of Ukraine's membership in NATO.
According to her, the bloc's leaders finally agreed on the importance of giving a political signal regarding Ukraine's approach to the Alliance.
In addition, it is indicated that this signal will become part of the general package of assistance to Kyiv.
The decision of the summit will include new formulations regarding Ukraine's aspiration to become a member of NATO. The decision will not be identical to what was announced last year (at the summit in Vilnius), the US ambassador announced.
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