As NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated, on June 14, defence ministers of the bloc's members agreed on an "operational plan for expanding support to Ukraine." According to him, it deals with coordinating the supply of weapons and training for the Armed Forces.
Points of attention
- Hungary blocked NATO's decision for a long time but still agreed to lift the veto.
- US President Joe Biden opposes Ukraine's accession to NATO, pointing to the need to implement reforms and criteria for membership.
- Biden believes that peace in Ukraine is possible even without the country joining NATO.
What is known about NATO's new decision regarding Ukraine
Jens Stoltenberg draws attention to the fact that the plan envisages that the Alliance will take over the international coordination of the supply of weapons and training for the Ukrainian military in the future.
It is essential to understand that the approval of the "operational plan" was blocked for a long time by the team of Hungarian leader Viktor Orban, who is known for his pro-Russian position.
This was a serious obstacle, because the block makes all decisions by consensus.
Putin's henchman constantly complained that the NATO initiative could lead to a "confrontation" with Russia.
But before the ministerial meeting in Brussels, Orbán met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and agreed to lift the veto in exchange for a promise that Hungary would not participate in the training of Ukrainians and finance the supply of weapons, the report said.
Why Biden opposes Ukraine joining NATO
According to the head of the White House, Joe Biden, peace in Ukraine is possible without NATO membership.
This statement by the US president surprised many Ukrainian government representatives and Western leaders.
Only recently, the US Permanent Representative to the Alliance, Julian Smith, explained the meaning of the American leader's words.
I believe what the President (Joe Biden — ed.) was referring to in that particular interview was the fact that we, the United States, believe that the Ukrainians still have some work to do to meet the criteria and implement the reforms that are necessary for NATO membership, explained Julian Smith.
