Baerbock explains Germany's stance on Ukraine's NATO accession
Annalena Baerbock, German Foreign Minister (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Germany considers that Ukraine should join NATO in the future. However, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin seeks to obstruct such membership, according to German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in response to a question from a RBC-Ukraine correspondent during a press conference.
The RBC-Ukraine correspondent asked Baerbock to clarify Germany's stance on Ukraine's NATO membership in light of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's remarks that an invitation to the Alliance is impossible until the war concludes.
The correspondent also mentioned rumors that those close to the chancellor are contemplating the option of "Finlandization" for Ukraine (its neutral status), suggesting that an invitation to NATO could undermine such plans.
"What is Germany's stance? It is clear: Ukraine's future lies in both the EU and NATO. We stated this in the NATO declaration in Washington this summer. Putin wants to prevent Ukraine from making this free choice," said the German Foreign Minister.
She added that joining NATO was a free decision made by Finland and Sweden, and they clearly stated their positions.
Ukraine's NATO invitation
In the victory plan developed by Kyiv, there is a provision for inviting Ukraine to NATO before the end of the full-scale war.
In the spring, it was known that the United States and Germany were against such a decision. However, recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that there has been a shift in Washington's stance.
At the same time, according to the head of the Ukrainian state, skepticism remains in Berlin regarding Ukraine's invitation.
