NATO declares Ukraine on irreversible to membership, sets condition for invitation
Photo: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (Getty Images)
NATO will extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance when the Allies agree and Kyiv fulfills all the necessary conditions, according to a joint statement following the NATO summit.
"We reaffirm that we will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance when Allies agree and conditions are met," the statement says.
In addition, Allied leaders noted that Ukraine's future is in NATO and they support Ukraine's right to choose its security mechanism and decide its future without external interference.
"Ukraine has become increasingly interoperable and politically integrated with the Alliance. We welcome the concrete progress Ukraine has made since the Vilnius Summit on its required democratic, economic, and security reforms. As Ukraine continues this vital work, we will continue to support it on its irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership," the statement says.
The Alliance adds that the decisions taken by NATO and the NATO-Ukraine Council at the summit, combined with the ongoing work of the Allies, are a bridge to Ukraine's membership in the Alliance.
"Allies will continue to support Ukraine’s progress on interoperability as well as additional democratic and security sector reforms, which NATO Foreign Ministers will continue to assess through the adapted Annual National Programme," the statement reads.
According to Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs, the NATO summit was also supposed to discuss Ukraine's use of all Western weapons without restrictions.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden called on NATO to strengthen its industrial base and increase weapons production, as it is necessary for the security of the Alliance.
