Vilnius [Lithuania], July 12 (ANI): North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies on Tuesday affirmed their support for Ukraine‘s push for becoming a member of the military alliance. However, the NATO allies stopped short of extending an invitation to Ukraine to become a member of the alliance. NATO allies noted that the future of Ukraine lies in NATO and recognised that Kyiv’s path towards full Euro-Atlantic Integration has moved beyond the need for the membership action plan, according to a joint communique issued by NATO leaders at a summit in Vilnius.
NATO allies in the joint communique said, “We fully support Ukraine’s right to choose its own security arrangements. Ukraine’s future is in NATO. We reaffirm the commitment we made at the 2008 Summit in Bucharest that Ukraine will become a member of NATO, and today we recognise that Ukraine’s path to full Euro-Atlantic integration has moved beyond the need for the Membership Action Plan.” NATO allies noted that Ukraine has become “increasingly interoperable and politically integrated” with the alliance. The NATO allies said that they will continue to support and review Ukraine‘s progress through the adapted annual national programme.
“Ukraine has become increasingly interoperable and politically integrated with the Alliance, and has made substantial progress on its reform path. In line with the 1997 Charter on a Distinctive Partnership between NATO and Ukraine and the 2009 Complement, Allies will continue to support and review Ukraine’s progress on interoperability as well as additional democratic and security sector reforms that are required,” a joint communique issued by NATO leaders reads.
“NATO Foreign Ministers will regularly assess progress through the adapted Annual National Programme. The Alliance will support Ukraine in making these reforms on its path towards future membership. We will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance when Allies agree and conditions are met,” it added.
NATO allies reiterated their condemnation of Russia‘s “blatant violations of international law.” They said that Russia must stop the war and cease its use of force against Ukraine. “We continue to condemn in the strongest terms Russia’s blatant violations of international law, the Charter of the United Nations, and OSCE commitments and principles. We do not and will never recognise Russia’s illegal and illegitimate annexations, including Crimea,” the joint communique issued by NATO leaders reads.
On Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that the alliance has changed the requirements needed for Ukraine to become part of the group, CNN reported. Stoltenberg said allied nations have “agreed to remove the requirements for membership action” which will make Ukraine’s membership path from a “two-step process to a one-step process,” as per the CNN report. He said that NATO allies will invite Ukraine to become part of the military alliance “when conditions are met.”
As NATO summit begins, Russia intensifies attack on Ukraine
Kyiv [Ukraine], July 12 (ANI): As the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries met in Lithuania’s capital Vilnius, Russia intensified its attack on Ukraine in the early hours of Wednesday. CNN reported that for the second night in a row, Moscow launched airstrikes toward the Kyiv region.
Kyiv regional military administration, on Telegram, said, “The movement of enemy UAVs has been recorded! Air defence works in the region.”
The strikes come following an overnight attack on Monday in which Ukraine’s air defence shot down drones launched by Russia. Earlier, Russia‘s Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu warned of retaliation if the United States continues with plans to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine. “In the event that the United States supplies cluster munitions to Ukraine, Russia will be forced to respond in a reciprocal manner,” Shoigu said, according to Russian television network Channel 5, which carried his comments, reported CNN.
This came after the US confirmed last week that it will send cluster munitions to Ukraine as part of a new military aid package, following months of debate within the Biden administration about whether to provide Kyiv with the controversial weapons banned by over 100 countries, including key US allies.
Meanwhile, at the Nato Summit in Vilnius, the member countries reaffirmed their support for Ukraine’s push for membership of the alliance, according to a final declaration issued by the 31-member group at a summit in Lithuania, according to a joint communique issued by NATO leaders at a summit in Vilnius.
NATO allies in the joint communique said, “We fully support Ukraine’s right to choose its own security arrangements. Ukraine’s future is in NATO. We reaffirm the commitment we made at the 2008 Summit in Bucharest that Ukraine will become a member of NATO, and today we recognise that Ukraine’s path to full Euro-Atlantic integration has moved beyond the need for the Membership Action Plan. “NATO allies noted that Ukraine has become “increasingly interoperable and politically integrated” with the alliance. The NATO allies said that they will continue to support and review Ukraine‘s progress through the adapted annual national programme.
NATO allies also reiterated their condemnation of Russia‘s war and its “blatant violations of international law, the Charter of the United Nations, and OSCE commitments and principles.” (ANI)
(ANI)
