Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg, shown here in Kyiv in September, pledged continued support for Ukraine from NATO countries during a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO council in Bussels Wednesday. File Photo by Ukrainian President Press Office/UPI | License Photo
Foreign ministers from NATO countries pledged support for Ukraine “as long as it takes,” at a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO council in Brussels Wednesday.
The foreign ministers met for the first time as they “took stock of the implementation of the expanded package of political and practical support to Ukraine” that was agreed upon at the NATO summit in Vilnius in July. Advertisement
“Allies remain steadfast in their commitment to further step up political and practical support to Ukraine as is continues to defend its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, and will continue their support for as long as it takes,” the attendees said in a statement.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said allies were in agreement that Ukraine should eventually join the alliance.
“All allies agree that Ukraine will become a member of the alliance,” said Stoltenberg.
In September during a visit to Kyiv, Stoltenberg said that NATO had removed the requirement for a Membership Action Plan for Ukraine to move forward with potential future bids for membership.
That came after the July meeting in Vilnius in which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was “absurd” that the alliance failed to present a clear timeline for Ukraine’s membership, instead laying out a multi-year assistance program to help bring Ukrainian armed forces to NATO standards. Advertisement
On Wednesday, Stoltenberg asserted the allies were still focusing on assuring Ukrainian success on the battlefield.
“We should not underestimate Russia. We see intense fighting and we have to be prepared for new air and missile strikes. So therefore, it is important that our solidarity with Ukraine is not only demonstrated in words but also in deeds,” Stoltenberg.
The secretary-general welcomed a new $8.7 billion aid package from Germany and a $2.19 billion aid package from the Netherlands, as well as an F-16 training program in Romania.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba asserted that Ukraine’s military success was “not only in the interests of Ukraine but also in the interests of the entire Euro-Atlantic community.”
“We are de facto becoming NATO’s army in terms of our technical capabilities and army management principles,” he said.
