NATO Assures Ukraine of Its Support amid Suggestions of "Concessions in Exchange for Membership"
There has been no change in the North Atlantic Alliance's position on supporting Ukraine, despite the recent statement by Stian Jenssen, the NATO Secretary General’s Chief of Staff.
European Pravda’s source stressed that NATO's position on Ukraine is "clear and unwavering".
"We fully support Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as NATO leaders reaffirmed at the Vilnius Summit in July. We will continue to support Ukraine as long as necessary, and we are committed to achieving a just and lasting peace," the person said.
The Alliance official stressed that it is for Ukraine itself to decide when to make peace and on what conditions.
"And clearly there is a need for security arrangements that would ensure that the war does not happen again," the source added.
Stian Jenssen, Director of the Private Office of the NATO Secretary General, had suggested that Ukraine could potentially join the Alliance in exchange for territory. However, he emphasised that such a decision should be made by Kyiv alone.
The issue of Ukraine's membership of the Alliance was on the agenda at NATO’s Vilnius Summit in July this year. In particular, the NATO Summit agreed to remove the requirement for a Membership Action Plan for Ukraine's path to the Alliance. At the same time, the allies indicated that they would invite Ukraine to join NATO "when conditions are met".