NATO Summit to express specific position on Ukraine's membership – Ukraine's Deputy PM

Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euroatlantic Integration for Ukraine, has outlined Kyiv's expectations from the upcoming meeting of NATO leaders in Washington in July.

Stefanishyna was responding to a question about speculation in the media that Ukraine was being asked not to request an invitation to NATO this year.

"Our allies, including the US and other countries that play a key role in preparing the summit, assured us that there will be a specific position on Ukraine's NATO membership at the summit, its irreversibility and the roadmap for such membership," Stefanishyna said during the national joint 24/7 newscast.

Stefanishyna noted that Kyiv specifically emphasises that the summit in Washington should serve as a platform for making strategic decisions on Ukraine's air defence, with relevant consultations taking place bilaterally.

"We are testing the Alliance to see if NATO can coordinate these efforts to protect Ukrainian skies either through bilateral decisions or using more comprehensive solutions," she said. 

US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith reported that important changes in the wording regarding Ukraine's membership prospects will be made at an upcoming meeting of NATO leaders in Washington.

Ambassador Smith said that NATO has agreed on the need to send a political signal about Ukraine's pathway to NATO membership, and that this signal will be part of the overall package of assistance to Ukraine.

On 28 May, Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euroatlantic Integration for Ukraine, discussed potential decisions at the NATO Summit in Washington, which will guarantee the irreversibility of Ukraine’s NATO membership, with Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General.

Stefanishyna also participated in the Ukraine-NATO Council meeting held in Brussels on 28 May.