Ukraine’s military capabilities exceed two-thirds of NATO’s in Europe, says expert
Jens Stoltenberg and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, April 20, 2023 (Photo:REUTERS/Alina Yarysh)
Ukraine’s military capabilities at the moment exceed two-thirds of NATO member states in Europe, so there is no need to execute any plans regarding Ukraine’s membership in that organization, Yuriy Romaniuk, Chairman of NGO "Ukraine in NATO”, said in an interview with Radio NV on April 22.
"I said two years ago that Ukraine had long ago surpassed the status, state, and conditions of a potential Membership Action Plan (MAP)," said Romaniuk.
"We had long ago fulfilled those requirements starting from 2008, when at the Bucharest Summit we were refused entry to NATO, but were told that the Alliance’s doors are open to Ukraine. Today, the MAP is no longer relevant."
According to the expert, "Ukraine itself is already a criterion for the selection and entry of any country into compliance with the Alliance's requirements."
"As of today, Ukraine exceeds two-thirds of the Alliance’s total military posture in Europe — our combat strength, level, and so on," he said, adding that Ukraine’s entry into NATO is restrained by the hot phase of the war.
"We must understand that NATO (…) does not want to be dragged, so to speak, into the war between Russia and Ukraine," said Romaniuk.
"It wants to maintain its autonomy and not give Russia a reason to take the lead, raise the stakes, and give the opportunity to say that it is actually at war with NATO."
The expert suggested that conditions for offering Ukraine membership in NATO, particularly by the United States, may arise at the NATO Summit in Washington in 2024.
After his first visit to Kyiv since the start of the war on April 20, 2023, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that all allies agreed that Ukraine would become a member of the Alliance. He met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said that there are no barriers to making political decisions regarding the country's membership in the Alliance.
Meanwhile, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that Ukraine's entry into NATO and the European Union is possible after the war is over.
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