NATO to offer Ukraine package of security measures as a "bridge" to Alliance at Washington summit
At the July summit in Washington, it is expected that NATO will offer Ukraine a package of security measures that will "serve as a bridge" to membership in the Alliance. US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith said at the Defense Writers Group roundtable, DefenseNews reports.
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"Part of the package will be the language we use to describe Ukraine’s membership aspirations in the declaration itself. Part of it will be an institutionalization of some of the bilateral support that’s currently being provided [to] Ukraine, and tucking it under NATO command," Smith added.
The politician noted that the July summit in honor of NATO's 75th anniversary will also focus on regional defense and deterrence plans for northern, central and southern Europe.
This will mean a significant change in the Alliance in the way countries invest, procure, cooperate on the implementation and implementation of these regional plans.
The summit will also focus on the distribution of defense spending, and Smith expects more than 20 countries to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defense, a goal set by NATO.
On May 17, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine, for its part, has done "everything possible for today" to join the European Union and NATO – "only politics" remains.
On May 27, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that at the summit in Washington, which will be held on July 9-11, a permanent structure will be created to organize the supply of weapons to Ukraine and their financing.
On March 13, the spokeswoman of the White House, Karine Jean-Pierre, said that the American administration hopes that the number of NATO countries that will increase their contributions to defense needs to 2% of their own GDP will increase in the coming months, before the summit in Washington.
On April 30, Stoltenberg said that the consent of all 32 allies is necessary to invite a country to NATO. According to him, there is currently no consensus regarding Ukraine.
On May 6, PM Denys Shmyhal said that Ukraine is one step closer to being invited to NATO.
