The authorities of Ukraine are not discussing the issue of joining NATO without the territories that were temporarily occupied by Russia. This statement was made by the Deputy Prime Minister-Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and the Minister of Justice Olga Stefanishyna.
Points of attention
- Olga Stefanishyna explained when Ukraine can become a member of NATO.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyi noted that Western leaders are holding talks on the sidelines regarding Ukraine's potential membership in the Alliance.
Ukraine is not going to give up its territories
As Olha Stefanishyna notes, Ukraine will definitely be invited to NATO within the borders of 1991, as a sovereign independent state.
She also reminded that after the invitation to the Alliance, a protocol on accession is drawn up, which specifies the terms and reforms necessary for joining NATO.
These are already technical things, issues of technical interoperability, we are talking about non-threatening reforms.
Olga Stefanishyna
Deputy Prime Minister-Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Minister of Justice of Ukraine
According to Stefanyshina, Ukraine will indeed be able to become a full-fledged member of the Alliance in the future.
Ukraine's membership in NATO will take place after the war, the minister emphasized.
Zelensky spoke about the backroom negotiations of Western leaders
As President Volodymyr Zelenskyi recently reported, Western leaders avoid openly discussing with him Ukraine's admission to NATO in exchange for giving up the occupied territories.
Despite this, the Ukrainian leader emphasized that such discussions are currently taking place on the sidelines.
What is important to understand is that none of Kyiv's allies has yet dared to openly raise this issue with Ukraine.
Against this background, Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the partners to finally return to transparent negotiations.
People never said that. People are afraid to say (to me — ed.), — said the Ukrainian leader.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Western leaders to "put it on the table, openly in front of us. Not through some third party."
