Brussels: NATO general secretary janes stoltenberg said on Wednesday that members of the Western military alliance are divided on what to do at the upcoming summit ukraineThere is an emphasis on joining.
“There are different views in the alliance on that issue and of course the only way to decide in NATO is by consensus,” Stoltenberg told a conference in Brussels.
Ukraine – backed by NATO countries in Eastern Europe – is calling for a “clear message” at the July summit of alliance leaders in Lithuania’s capital Vilnius that it would join Russia after the war was over.
Kyiv Admits that it will not become a member while fighting anger in its territory. But he wants the alliance to move beyond a vague 2008 promise that one day it would be in NATO.
“Nobody is able to tell you what will be the final decision on this issue at the Vilnius summit,” Stoltenberg said.
Diplomats from NATO countries say its main military power, the United States, is reluctant to move beyond a resolution made 15 years ago on Ukraine’s membership.
Joining NATO would mean that Ukraine would be covered by the alliance’s Article 5 collective defense clause that obliges all allies to help defend if attacked.
Ukraine’s Western allies are considering whether Ukraine could be offered other forms of security assurances that would reassure Kiev as an interim step before becoming a NATO member.
France said Tuesday it was ready to reach an agreement with Ukraine on “security guarantees” that would help it protect itself in the long term.
“The ultimate security guarantee would be NATO membership, but … that’s not something that would happen in the middle of a war,” Stoltenberg said.
“The question is what decision will we take and how will we address the issue of membership at the Vilnius summit? And as I said, it is too early to say.”
Stoltenberg said that when the war in Ukraine ends “we need to make sure we have systems in place to deter further Russian aggression”.
“It partly helps Ukraine stop them and defend itself by providing military assistance,” he said.
“But it will then also discuss the different types of security arrangements.”
Stoltenberg said he hoped NATO leaders would at least agree to a multi-year program at the summit to help Ukraine’s military use Western hardware.
Russia’s war has already prompted Ukraine to turn to NATO-standard weaponry as its international backers give Kiev increasingly advanced weaponry.
“There are different views in the alliance on that issue and of course the only way to decide in NATO is by consensus,” Stoltenberg told a conference in Brussels.
Ukraine – backed by NATO countries in Eastern Europe – is calling for a “clear message” at the July summit of alliance leaders in Lithuania’s capital Vilnius that it would join Russia after the war was over.
Kyiv Admits that it will not become a member while fighting anger in its territory. But he wants the alliance to move beyond a vague 2008 promise that one day it would be in NATO.
“Nobody is able to tell you what will be the final decision on this issue at the Vilnius summit,” Stoltenberg said.
Diplomats from NATO countries say its main military power, the United States, is reluctant to move beyond a resolution made 15 years ago on Ukraine’s membership.
Joining NATO would mean that Ukraine would be covered by the alliance’s Article 5 collective defense clause that obliges all allies to help defend if attacked.
Ukraine’s Western allies are considering whether Ukraine could be offered other forms of security assurances that would reassure Kiev as an interim step before becoming a NATO member.
France said Tuesday it was ready to reach an agreement with Ukraine on “security guarantees” that would help it protect itself in the long term.
“The ultimate security guarantee would be NATO membership, but … that’s not something that would happen in the middle of a war,” Stoltenberg said.
“The question is what decision will we take and how will we address the issue of membership at the Vilnius summit? And as I said, it is too early to say.”
Stoltenberg said that when the war in Ukraine ends “we need to make sure we have systems in place to deter further Russian aggression”.
“It partly helps Ukraine stop them and defend itself by providing military assistance,” he said.
“But it will then also discuss the different types of security arrangements.”
Stoltenberg said he hoped NATO leaders would at least agree to a multi-year program at the summit to help Ukraine’s military use Western hardware.
Russia’s war has already prompted Ukraine to turn to NATO-standard weaponry as its international backers give Kiev increasingly advanced weaponry.