NATO Reaffirms Commitment to Ukraine’s Membership; Report: Russia Offered to End War If Ukraine Dropped NATO Bid

In a recent announcement, the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Jens Stoltenberg, reiterated the alliance’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s long-term membership, affirming that all NATO members agree on Ukraine eventually joining. However, Stoltenberg emphasized that this accession would occur post-war and only after significant reforms have been implemented.

Stoltenberg highlighted the forthcoming NATO-Ukraine Council meeting, where discussions would center on identifying and prioritizing key reforms necessary for Ukraine to meet the criteria for NATO membership. He cited recent support measures, such as the air defense coalition, substantial funding, and the inauguration of the F-16 training center in Romania for Ukrainian pilots, as demonstrations of NATO’s commitment to Ukraine’s security.

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While underscoring NATO’s consensus on Ukraine’s eventual membership, Stoltenberg clarified that full accession would be contingent on Ukraine’s resolution of the ongoing conflict and the implementation of critical reforms. He emphasized the need for “full interoperability” between Ukrainian and NATO forces, based on NATO doctrines and training procedures.

Addressing concerns about admitting a nation currently at war, Stoltenberg stated, “All Allies agree that in the midst of a war full membership is not possible.” Nonetheless, he expressed the alliance’s commitment to exploring ways to bring Ukraine and NATO closer together during this challenging period.

This affirmation echoes previous statements, despite past criticism from within the alliance. Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz have expressed reservations, with Orban questioning the readiness of all NATO members to accept Ukraine and Scholz advocating caution until after the conflict, citing unmet criteria and conditions.

Despite these reservations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asserted in September that Ukraine considers itself “a de facto member of NATO.” The cautious approach extends beyond NATO, with European leaders expressing a similar sentiment regarding Ukraine’s potential European Union membership, emphasizing the need for reforms and the resolution of internal challenges before formal action is taken.

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Russia Offered to End War if Ukraine Dropped NATO Bid: Kyiv Official

By Newsweek. Russia offered to end Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in the spring of 2022 if Ukraine agreed to drop its ambitions to join NATO, according to the head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s political party, who was present at peace negotiations.

David Arakhamia, leader of the Ukrainian political party Servant of the People, revealed part of the purported deal during an interview with Ukrainian journalist Natalia Moseychuk on Friday. The Kyiv official previously led the Ukrainian delegation that held peace talks with senior Russian officials in the months following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Both sides of the war have laid out conditions for a ceasefire in the conflict in recent months, but many war analysts doubt neither Zelensky nor Russian President Vladimir Putin currently has a serious urge to end the 21-month-long fight.

According to Arakhamia, however, there was a drafted peace agreement between Ukrainian and Russian negotiators early in the war. Arakhamia said that Moscow pledged to end the fighting if Ukraine’s agreed to remain neutral and forego its bid to join NATO. (Read more from “Russia Offered to End War if Ukraine Dropped NATO Bid: Kyiv Official” HERE)

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