During the NATO summit in Washington in July, the allies will take clear steps to bring Ukraine closer to joining the alliance. This was stated by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken during a press conference in Prague on 31 May.
Blinken promised clear steps for Ukraine's accession to NATO
Blinken spoke about the upcoming NATO summit in Washington.
At the summit, we will take concrete steps to bring Ukraine closer to NATO and make sure that there is a bridge to membership, a strong and well-lit bridge.
Anthony Blinken
US Secretary of State
NATO will help build Ukrainian forces of the future, which can effectively repel aggression and defend themselves when necessary, said the high-ranking official, adding that the alliance will strengthen its integration with Ukraine.
During the meeting of the leaders of the North Atlantic Alliance in the American capital on July 9-11, it is expected that Kyiv will not receive an official invitation to join NATO.
To a clarifying question from journalists about what steps the allies will take to help Ukrainians "avoid the feeling that they have been let down", Blinken said:
As the Allies made clear during the Vilnius summit, Ukraine will become a member of NATO, and our goal now is to build a bridge to bring Ukraine closer to and eventually into NATO.
The chief American diplomat also announced:
The summit will (announce) a broad aid package for Ukraine, a package that will strengthen NATO cooperation and assistance to Ukraine and that will advance Ukraine's integration into NATO, tangible steps that will increase NATO's role in helping Ukraine build its future forces.
Currently in Stockholm, during a press conference on the results of the "Ukraine–Northern Europe" summit, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said:
The summit should be effective, and Ukraine believes that this cannot be achieved without resolving the issue of Ukraine's invitation to NATO.
In his speech, Blinken also added that "32 countries are also negotiating separate bilateral security agreements with Ukraine ... and I expect that many more will be concluded before the start of the NATO summit".
What does agreement between Ukraine and Sweden provide
On May 31, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of security between the countries.
According to the document, during the years 2024-2026, Sweden will provide military aid to Ukraine for about 6.5 billion euros, which will approximately amount to 2.2 billion euros per year.
The amount of assistance will increase during the ten-year term of the agreement.
In addition, Ukraine's military support includes aviation and air defence, armored vehicles, artillery, enhanced maritime security, mine clearance assistance, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
Sweden has already provided and will continue to provide Archer artillery systems and CV90 combat vehicles to Ukraine, for which the partners will also work out opportunities for joint production.
A unique part of the agreement with Sweden is the provision of specialised ASC 890 aircraft, as well as the prospect of transferring JAS 39 Gripen aircraft to Ukraine, including relevant training, the President's Office noted.
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