Stoltenberg: Ukraine is Closer to NATO Than Ever Before

On July 11, the North Atlantic Alliance Summit in Vilnius adopted a three-part package of decisions on Ukraine, including Ukraine's path to membership.

This was stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at a press conference following the first day of the summit.

"Today, the Allies agreed on a three-part package that will bring Ukraine closer to NATO. The first is a new multi-year support program for Ukraine, which will enable the transition from Soviet to NATO standards of training and doctrine," Stoltenberg said. 

The second element is the creation of a new NATO-Ukraine Council, which Stoltenberg said will be a forum for consultation and decision-making, where "we will meet as equals." The first meeting is to take place today.

At the same time, Stoltenberg noted that individual Allies will not have the right to block the Council's decisions, as was the case with the NATO-Ukraine Commission.

The third element is that the Allies confirmed that Ukraine will become a NATO member and agreed to remove the requirement for a Membership Action Plan. This will change Ukraine's path from a two-step process to a one-step process. 

"We also made it clear that we will announce an invitation to Ukraine to join NATO when the Allies agree and the necessary conditions are met," the Secretary General added. 

This is a strong package for Ukraine and a clear path to NATO membership, Stoltenberg emphasized.

According to him, Ukraine is now closer to the North Atlantic Alliance than ever before.

The Gaze has collected several other statements made by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg following the first day of summit.

In particular, he said that Russia's victory in the conflict with Ukraine on the battlefield would be a tragedy for Kyiv and would make the Alliance more vulnerable;

In addition, according to the NATO Secretary General, training of Ukrainian pilots to operate F-16 fighters may begin by the end of the summer, and the timing of the delivery of the aircraft is not yet clear;

Stoltenberg also emphasized that NATO intends to ensure that Ukraine has effective security arrangements in place after the war. Several members of the Alliance have allegedly already signed an agreement to help Ukraine with weapons and equipment, and the United Kingdom even plans to send troops to Ukraine to support Ukrainian forces.

As reported by The Gaze, NATO member states have agreed on plans for three regions of Europe that define how the Alliance will respond to a possible Russian attack.