Meeting with NATO Foreign Ministers… Emphasis on the existing position
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday that the allies had agreed on Ukraine becoming a member of NATO.
“All allies agree that Russia has no veto rights to stop NATO expansion,” Stoltenberg said during an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers held in Oslo, Norway that day.
Ukraine’s joining of NATO was actively attempted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2021, and NATO showed a positive attitude toward it. Russia strongly opposed NATO’s move to expand eastward, saying it was a serious security threat to its country.
As the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO increased, it can be said that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 came out. While maintaining its will to join NATO, Ukraine first pushed ahead with joining the European Union, and in June of last year obtained the status of a candidate for membership through a special expedited procedure.
Secretary-General Stoltenberg’s mention of Ukraine’s NATO membership on this day seems to be a ‘principal’ explanation following the discussion of this issue at the foreign ministers’ meeting in Oslo, rather than a clear change in the matter. The biggest agenda item at the NATO foreign ministers meeting that day was the issue of Sweden joining NATO, which Turkey and Hungary are blocking.
Regarding Ukraine, NATO has maintained its stance that Ukraine must also join Russia in interdiction.
At the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Oslo that day, the issue of Ukraine’s accession was discussed, and Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Alvarez urged a strong political message to support Ukraine’s willingness to join.
In contrast, Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock took a more cautious stance and said, “NATO’s principle of open doors remains unchanged, but it is clear that it will be difficult to accept new members during a war.”
Sweden and Finland in the Northern Europe, which emphasized military neutrality against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, applied for NATO membership in May and were approved a month later, but only Finland completed the ratification process of each member state and joined as the 31st alliance in February this year.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Zelensky told reporters while attending the European Political Community (EPC) summit held in neighboring Moldova that day, “Ukraine is fully prepared to enter the NATO military alliance and is waiting for NATO to open the door.” said.
Ukraine’s NATO accession is also on the agenda at the meeting, which also includes the heads of Britain, France and Germany.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.