NATO Admiral: Ukraine's membership in Alliance is not on table in peace talks
Photo: Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone (Getty Images)
Currently, Ukraine's NATO membership is not part of the peace negotiations. However, it shouldn't be ruled out as a possibility, Chair of the NATO Military Committee Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone says in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
"The main priority right now - for everyone - is to reach a just, durable peace," Dragone said.
The Admiral noted that at last year's summit in Washington, NATO reaffirmed its commitment to Ukraine's future membership in the Alliance.
"However, it was never agreed that whenever peace talks would start and then end, this would definitely include NATO membership," Dragone stated.
The Chair of the NATO Military Committee emphasized that, at this moment, Ukraine's NATO membership is not part of the current peace talks, but it should not be excluded.
"Nevertheless, in the future, should all the conditions be met, including Ukraine's own interest and the full agreement by all Allies, we could not rule out the possibility that a process for stronger ties between Ukraine and NATO could be initiated," the high-ranking military official added.
Ceasefire in Ukraine
The American delegation held separate negotiations with both the Ukrainian and Russian sides regarding a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Recently, following a meeting in Saudi Arabia, the Kremlin laid out several conditions for a ceasefire in Ukraine. One of these conditions was Russia's inclusion in the SWIFT system.
Such an action would lead to the easing of sanctions against Russia, which Europe is not prepared to accept. European officials have made several statements confirming their determination not to reduce the pressure from sanctions.
