Baltic states reaffirm support for Ukraine’s path to EU and NATO
Photo: Baltic countries support Ukraine's membership in the EU and NATO (Getty Images)
The foreign affairs committees of the parliaments of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have expressed their support for Ukraine’s membership in the European Union and NATO. They also pledged to stand with Ukraine until its full victory in the war against Russia, according to a joint statement published by Žygimantas Pavilionis, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Lithuanian Parliament, on Facebook.
"Ukraine’s victory over Russian aggression and Ukraine’s membership in NATO would consolidate a just and lasting peace not only in Ukraine, but also in all of Europe, and help to preserve the rules-based international order globally," the joint statement of the Baltic countries’ parliamentary committees reads.
They also acknowledged that Ukraine’s membership in NATO would provide a more effective and sustainable basis for ensuring Euro-Atlantic security.
In their joint statement, the foreign affairs committees of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania outlined five key commitments:
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To support Ukraine until its full victory, including the liberation of all temporarily occupied territories and holding Russia accountable for war crimes.
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To support Ukraine’s EU membership with the goal of completing accession talks and achieving full membership by January 1, 2030.
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To support Ukraine’s path toward NATO membership. The upcoming NATO Summit in 2025 in The Hague should take concrete political steps that pave the way for Ukraine’s accession to the Alliance.
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To promote the development of defense cooperation with Ukraine, including by supporting its entry into the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) as a step toward deeper integration in the security domain.
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To increase diplomatic pressure on Russia through international isolation, expanded sanctions, and ensuring accountability for crimes committed against Ukraine.
"We call upon the Foreign Affairs Committees of other national parliaments, international parliamentary assemblies, governments, and responsible institutions to endorse this statement and to adopt corresponding actions that would ensure continued and determined support for Ukraine’s victory, reconstruction, and full integration into the Euro-Atlantic community," the statement adds.
Ukraine’s EU accession
As a reminder, in February 2022, shortly after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine officially submitted its application to join the European Union. The EU later granted Ukraine candidate status, and in December 2023, approved the start of accession talks.
At the end of May 2025, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is ready to begin the first clusters of negotiations on EU accession. He discussed the matter with European Council President António Costa.
