NATO says it is "too early" to talk about Ukraine's membership but the path is "irreversible"

On July 10, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg said it was too early to predict when Ukraine would become a member.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the alliance's summit in Washington DC on July 10. (Source: Getty Images)

"To invite a new ally, we need consensus and all allies agree that Ukraine will become a member," Anadolu news agency quoted Secretary General Stoltenberg's speech before the start of the first day of the NATO Summit in Washington DC as saying.

While it is “too early” to say exactly when that will happen, NATO is moving “closer to membership” with Ukraine.

The military alliance is taking steps described as a "bridge to Ukraine's NATO membership ", including establishing a 700-strong command based in Germany, as well as centres in the east to streamline training and security assistance to the eastern European country.

Long-term financial commitments, interoperability development and the provision of Western fighter jets are examples of how NATO is bringing Ukraine into the alliance and “making membership easier when the time is right”.

In a statement released late in the day, the alliance affirmed its continued support for "Ukraine's irreversible path towards full integration, including NATO membership," The Kyiv Independent reported.

“ We fully support Ukraine’s right to choose its own security arrangements and determine its own future, free from outside interference. Ukraine’s future lies within NATO,” the statement said.

The transatlantic alliance welcomed the "concrete progress" Ukraine has made since the Vilnius, Lithuania Summit in July 2023 on necessary democratic, economic and security reforms.

Speaking to reporters at the end of the first day of the summit, Mr. Stoltenberg clarified the "irreversible" statement, emphasizing that this was "a strong message from NATO allies that we want Ukraine to participate... Words are important, they create expectations and agendas."

Both the alliance and Ukraine need to maintain their commitment to any future membership, he said.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/nato-noi-con-qua-som-de-de-cap-thoi-diem-ket-nap-ukraine-nhung-day-la-con-duong-khong-the-dao-nguoc-278241.html