Ukraine's victory to pave way for accession to NATO, MP says

The future membership of Ukraine in NATO depends solely on the results of the war, the head of the permanent delegation of Ukraine to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Yehor Chernev told LIGA.net, commenting on the visit of the Secretary General of the Alliance Jens Stoltenberg to Kyiv on the eve of the expected counteroffensive of the Armed Forces,

On April 20, 2023, Stoltenberg unexpectedly appeared in Kyiv on the eve of the key Ramstein group meeting, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

According to Chernev, the most important message that was voiced during Stoltenberg's meeting with Zelenskyy is that there is a consensus within NATO regarding the admission of Ukraine to the Alliance.

"This means that now our membership in NATO depends exclusively on the results of the war. The main condition for joining is our victory," he says.

Chernev also named two possible reasons why Stoltenberg visited Kyiv.

First, he says, the Secretary-General wanted to find out the mood in Ukraine and its urgent need for weapons and ammunition in order to conduct Ramstein as efficiently as possible.

Secondly, his visit to Kyiv was supposed to encourage Ukrainian society and the authorities with the prospect of Ukraine's membership in NATO.

Chernev added that the July summit in Vilnius will take place against the background of "significant changes on the battlefield" in favor of the Armed Forces.

"I expect clear wording from the summit, namely: how and when Ukraine will be accepted into NATO. No other alternatives will suit us," he said.

Earlier, President Zelenskyy named the four key issues of Ukraine-NATO relations.

Stoltenberg also stated that Ukraine's rightful place is within the Alliance.