The government explained whether Ukraine will seek an invitation to NATO in 2025
Date: 2024-09-02 Author: Michail Kovalenko Categories: POLICY
This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna.
"We will do this earlier (before the summit, - ed.), because on October 1, the new NATO Secretary General takes office, his first visit to Ukraine will certainly be devoted to a political decision," she said.
Stefanishyna drew attention to the fact that after the country is invited to NATO, the ratification of the accession protocols takes place. This should be 32 decisions of the parliament or government or the president of each country. "And we saw this process for Sweden, for Finland. Finland went through it in one go, it's a Finnish miracle, but Sweden had to implement a number of very difficult decisions on the way to this ratification, and not only this concerned changes to the legislation," the Deputy Prime Minister explained.
According to her, the invitation is a serious intention to talk about the future. "And, of course, we are not removing this issue from the agenda and, as the president says, it will be on the agenda as long as it takes to make a decision," she said.
However, the invitation is also a decision that can be made at any time, regardless of the summit, Stefanishina added.
"The issue of Ukraine's membership in NATO will not be removed from the agenda, because the allies themselves have determined that this path is irreversible. And the issue of Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations has always been on the agenda at all meetings at all levels with colleagues from the United States, and this will not change on the Ukrainian side. I believe that the issue of inviting Ukraine to NATO is in itself an element of deterring Russian aggression," the Deputy Prime Minister said.
Recall that two thirds of Ukrainians (64%) consider joining the European Union and NATO equally important for the country. At the same time, 7% preferred Ukraine's European integration, and 12% said that NATO membership is more important now. Ukraine has not yet received an invitation to NATO.
"We will do this earlier (before the summit, - ed.), because on October 1, the new NATO Secretary General takes office, his first visit to Ukraine will certainly be devoted to a political decision," she said.
Stefanishyna drew attention to the fact that after the country is invited to NATO, the ratification of the accession protocols takes place. This should be 32 decisions of the parliament or government or the president of each country. "And we saw this process for Sweden, for Finland. Finland went through it in one go, it's a Finnish miracle, but Sweden had to implement a number of very difficult decisions on the way to this ratification, and not only this concerned changes to the legislation," the Deputy Prime Minister explained.
According to her, the invitation is a serious intention to talk about the future. "And, of course, we are not removing this issue from the agenda and, as the president says, it will be on the agenda as long as it takes to make a decision," she said.
However, the invitation is also a decision that can be made at any time, regardless of the summit, Stefanishina added.
"The issue of Ukraine's membership in NATO will not be removed from the agenda, because the allies themselves have determined that this path is irreversible. And the issue of Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations has always been on the agenda at all meetings at all levels with colleagues from the United States, and this will not change on the Ukrainian side. I believe that the issue of inviting Ukraine to NATO is in itself an element of deterring Russian aggression," the Deputy Prime Minister said.
Recall that two thirds of Ukrainians (64%) consider joining the European Union and NATO equally important for the country. At the same time, 7% preferred Ukraine's European integration, and 12% said that NATO membership is more important now. Ukraine has not yet received an invitation to NATO.
