Finland’s incorporation into NATO as the defense alliance’s 31st member is marked in Brussels with pomp and splendour. Soon, Sweden will also be members. But behind the scenes in NATO, a far more delicate membership is being discussed. Because NATO wants Ukraine into NATO as soon as the war with Russia is over. – NATO’s position is that Ukraine should join NATO, says NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to news in Brussels. Preparing Ukraine for NATO membership A NATO expansion to Ukraine was one of the reasons why Putin went to war against Ukraine. The defense alliance as a whole has not wanted to involve itself directly in the war with the risk of a full-scale conflict with Russia. But many individual countries in NATO supply large quantities of weapons to Ukraine. At the same time, NATO is working on what they call a support package for Ukraine, where the goal is full membership for Ukraine in NATO. Ukraine’s foreign minister will attend the EU meeting in Brussels on 4 April. The goal is for Ukraine to become part of NATO after the end of the war. Photo: DAVID DEE DELGADO / Reuters This is a non-military support for democratic and political reforms of Ukrainian society. It concerns everything from anti-corruption work, medical rehabilitation of war casualties and demining. The intention is also to bring about a longer-term reform of the Ukrainian defense to make it compatible with NATO forces, sources in NATO tell news. Depends on the outcome of the war Since 2008, the plan has been to bring both Ukraine and Georgia into NATO. For Ukraine, it became problematic when Russia stepped in and annexed part of Ukraine, namely the Crimean peninsula, in 2014. Putin’s war of invasion in Ukraine a year ago made NATO membership impossible. The big question is of course when and how the war will end, and what a peace agreement with Russia will mean for a possible Ukrainian NATO membership. When a Ukraine can become a member of NATO is unclear. – We have not decided when this might happen. First, we must ensure that Ukraine survives as an independent state in Europe, says Stoltenberg to news. Increased support for Ukraine Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has been invited to the foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels. There will be talks about what could be a possible peace solution. In addition, increased arms and ammunition aid to Ukraine is a topic. – The Ukrainian defense must move away from the Soviet era and towards becoming more compatible with NATO forces, says Stoltenberg. At the so-called NATO-Ukraine commission meeting, the long-term plans for possible Ukrainian membership are being discussed today. – There is no better solution to security in Europe as a whole than NATO membership for Ukraine, says Kuleba. Everything is ready for the raising of the Finnish flag outside NATO’s headquarters in Brussels. Finland becomes NATO’s 31st member during the foreign ministers’ meeting on 4 April Photo: Björn Malmquist / RUV Today Finland formally becomes a member. The Kremlin has already announced countermeasures against what it calls an aggressive act. – Putin wanted less NATO, but has instead received more soldiers in the eastern parts of NATO. Now Finland is involved. I am convinced that Sweden will join NATO, Stoltenberg said when he arrived at the meeting of foreign ministers on Tuesday.
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NATO is working to get Ukraine into the NATO defense alliance – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
