The Meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council: Security and Conditions for Kyiv's Entry

Reforms to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities were discussed in Brussels during the Ukraine-NATO Council meeting, dedicated to Kyiv's further steps towards NATO membership and the implementation of decisions from the Vilnius Summit.

This was reported by the official NATO page.

According to the announcement, the meeting was chaired by NATO Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Joane, and Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olga Stefanishyna also participated.

During the meeting, the NATO Deputy Secretary-General emphasized that "Ukraine's security is of great importance to the Alliance." At the same time, he highly praised the willingness of both sides to implement the decisions of the Vilnius Summit as quickly as possible, emphasizing continued support for Ukraine.

"Alliance members continue to provide significant assistance to Ukraine, including through the NATO Comprehensive Assistance Package, and continue the important work of ensuring full operational compatibility of Ukrainian armed forces with NATO. All of this means that Ukraine is now closer to NATO than ever before," the announcement said.

For her part, the Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister presented to the ambassadors of NATO member states the further priority steps for the adapted Annual National Program (aANP) in 2024.

"The Ukraine-NATO Council has already become not just a partnership platform but a platform for serious preparation of Ukraine for NATO membership. Today, we presented the basis of the adapted ANP for 2024, focusing on transparency and our compatibility. This is a list of reforms to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities, the implementation of NATO standards and best practices in the defense and security sector, taking into account the conditions of full-scale invasion," said Vice Prime Minister Olga Stefanishyna.

The main priority of the adapted ANP is the reform of Ukraine's security and defense sector "based on democratic civilian control to achieve full compatibility with the Alliance."

In addition, the Ukrainian side proposed that partners abandon the practice of annual reporting on the implementation of the ANP and, instead, introduce regular consultations between the parties on the program's implementation within the framework of the Ukraine-NATO Council's work.

It is worth reminding that the Ukraine-NATO Council was established this year within the framework of the Vilnius Summit. The main purpose of the Council is to establish direct communication between NATO and Ukraine for a rapid integration into the North Atlantic Alliance.

It should be recalled that the Council was last held at the initiative of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on July 26, after the Russian Federation intensified targeted attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure and grain.