Ukraine will join NATO, but it's unclear when, says Deputy Secretary-General
Photo: NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană (Getty Images)
Ukraine will become a part of the North Atlantic Alliance, but it is not yet possible to say when exactly, according to NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană.
He commented on French President Emmanuel Macron's idea to send troops to Ukraine.
The Deputy Secretary-General says they fully respect the right of allies to come up with new ideas. But NATO has no intentions or plans to deploy troops to Ukraine. What they intend to do is to continue to support Ukraine and avoid escalation in relations with Russia, which they have been able to do quite satisfactorily so far.
He emphasizes that this is especially important after Ukraine started negotiations on EU accession and NATO membership.
He says they can't say when exactly, but one day a sovereign Ukraine will be part of both NATO and the EU. This war is likely to last for some time. Therefore, NATO will continue to support Ukraine and avoid escalation in relations with Russia.
Ukraine's path to NATO
On September 30, 2022, Ukraine applied for NATO membership under an accelerated procedure. Kyiv expected to receive an invitation to join NATO during the summer summit in Vilnius, but this did not happen.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg noted that Ukraine would not be able to join the Alliance until active hostilities ended.
Ukraine received NATO's recommendations for accession. This was the result of the NATO-Ukraine Council, which met in Brussels on November 29. The recommendations relate to the initial reforms needed to join the Alliance.
