NATO will outline a “reform path” for Ukraine to join the alliance, but will not accept a timetable for its accession, he said White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivanquoted by France Press.
Sullivan said this to journalists in Vilnius, where the two-day meeting of the leaders of the NATO countries begins. In addition, Sullivan announced that tomorrow US President Joe Biden will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
At the meeting in Vilnius, NATO will send “positive signal” in connection with the desire of Kiev to join the Alliance, Sullivan also said, quoted by Reuters.
Sullivan made the announcement as NATO negotiators were finalizing a final communique that would outline Ukraine’s path to joining the defense alliance.
Diplomats said today that differences among negotiators on the final text of the communique were narrowing, Reuters noted.
NATO allies will send a clear message about how Ukraine can become a member of the alliance in the future. This was stated today in Vilnius by the Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg.
“I expect the allies to send a clear, unified and positive message on Ukraine’s path to membership,” Stoltenberg said upon his arrival for the start of the summit of the alliance’s member states.
He added that, in addition to the decisions that the North Atlantic Council will make today, there will also be bilateral guarantees for the security of Ukraine, which has been trying to repel the invading Russian troops from its territory for more than 500 days.
“Some allies are conducting bilateral and multilateral dialogue with Ukraine to continue support for Ukraine… this will complement and build on the decisions taken at the NATO summit,” he said.
Ukraine’s future membership, military aid, the strengthening of the eastern flank and defense spending will be the main topics during the NATO meeting in Vilnius on Tuesday and Wednesday.
From the NATO summit in Vilnius, I expect that there will be an end result in which it is explicitly said that Ukraine will be invited when the circumstances allow. This is what he said today the Prime Minister Academician Nikolay Denkov upon arrival at the forum in Vilnius.
According to him, this corresponds in content to the recently adopted declarations by the National Assembly and the Council of Ministers.
“There will be a clear prospect that Ukraine will become a member of NATO, but for that we must have the relevant conditions. As long as Ukraine is in a state of war with a neighboring country, it cannot be accepted, but the conditions under which it will be accepted eventually,” said Denkov.
He noted that for the first time since the Cold War, regional plans are being made to prepare countries in the event of an attack from the east. It is important for us to upgrade the capacity we have today and that this capacity be integrated with the capacities of neighboring countries – Romania, Turkey – and also with the capacities of other NATO countries, added the prime minister.
He said that Bulgaria has already bet that next year it will have defense costs in the amount of 2 percent of the GDP, and the following year it will be even higher.
A second battle group is not expected, Denkov said in response to a journalist’s question whether a second allied structure – similar to the battle group – is envisaged in Bulgaria. We are expected to upgrade the existing combat group, it is at the battalion level, if we use our terms, but it should be upgraded, expanded with combat capabilities, with personnel, so that it goes to the brigade level, Denkov also said.
Vesela Chernevadirector of the Sofia office of the European Council for Foreign Policy, commented to BNR that the question in Vilnius will be about the wording of the invitation to Ukraine
“Will an invitation be made now that will be realized after the war, or will the invitation come after the end of the war,” remarked Vesela Cherneva.
On the eve of the forum, Turkish President Recep Erdogan announced that his country was ready to lift the veto against Sweden’s accession.
Cherneva commented that after his re-election, Erdogan wants to warm up his relations with his European partners.
“Turkey is in a serious economic crisis. Ankara has reasons to look to Europe,” she noted.
The political conversation about Turkey’s EU membership will not be formally renewed, she clarified, but added that when Turkey knocks on the European door, she would like to see equal treatment.
“The news that Sweden will become a member of NATO very soon came at the last second before the NATO meeting. The answer lies somewhere in Washington. In Turkey, they have long wanted to acquire the F-16, which was denied to them for a long time after the purchase of armaments from Russia. Now Erdogan has got part of what he wanted.” commented Cherneva.
This will be the fourth NATO summit since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with the first held virtually on February 25, 2022, just one day after the attack, followed by forums in Brussels and Madrid.
The Bulgarian delegation is led by the Prime Minister Academician Nikolay Denkov, and it also includes the Minister of Defense Todor Tagarev, the Chief of Defense Admiral Emil Eftimov and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tihomir Stoychev.
2023-07-11 09:22:36
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