NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visited Kyiv on Thursday (28 September 2023), meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his government, and expressing NATO’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Mr Stoltenberg praised Ukraine’s progress in its path to NATO membership, and announced new measures to enhance the defence cooperation between the Alliance and Ukraine.
Ukraine and NATO have announced a de facto alliance and expressed their mutual desire to achieve de jure membership for Ukraine in the near future, according to the Ukrainian President office. This was the main outcome of the meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who visited Kyiv on Tuesday.
“It is only a matter of time before Ukraine becomes a de jure member of NATO” – said Zelenskyy following the meeting with Jens Stoltenberg in Kyiv.
Mr Stoltenberg hailed President Zelenskyy’s leadership and the courage of the Ukrainian armed forces, who are fighting against Russia’s full-scale invasion that began last year. He said that Ukraine is “gradually gaining ground” in its counteroffensive, and that it has the solidarity of the free world. He cited the example of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, which consists of more than 50 nations that provide support and supplies to Ukraine. He also noted that over 140 nations stood up for Ukraine’s sovereignty at the United Nations, while Russia is isolated and sanctioned by the international community.
The Secretary General welcomed that all NATO Allies have agreed that Ukraine will join NATO, and highlighted three historic decisions taken at the Vilnius Summit in June to help make this a reality. He said that NATO has removed the requirement for a Membership Action Plan for Ukraine, agreed a programme to make Ukraine’s forces fully interoperable with NATO, and established the NATO-Ukraine Council – a body where NATO and Ukraine can consult and take decisions together. “These three decisions mean that Ukraine is now closer to NATO than ever before,” he said.
Mr Stoltenberg also underlined that NATO Allies continue to provide high-end capabilities to help push back the invasion, including modern tanks, sophisticated missile systems, and air defences, as well as training for F-16 pilots. He said that this is a collective effort by all NATO Allies, with European NATO Allies and Canada contributing around half of the nearly one hundred billion euros in military support committed to Ukraine since last year. He further welcomed Ukraine’s plans to jointly produce weapons systems with the United States, and said he looked forward to further encouraging news from Friday’s International Defence Industry Forum in Kyiv, which will see participation from NATO and over 20 countries.
The Secretary General stressed that NATO supports a peaceful resolution of the conflict, and commended President Zelenskyy’s ten-point plan to achieve a just and sustainable peace. He said that Russia could end its war today by laying down arms and respecting Ukraine’s sovereignty, but that Ukraine does not have the option of surrendering to Russian occupation. “Ukraine’s future is in NATO. As we work together to prepare you for that future, NATO will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes,” he said.
While in Kyiv, the Secretary General laid a wreath at the Wall of Remembrance of the Fallen for Ukraine, paying tribute to all those who have suffered and sacrificed in defence of their homeland.
This was Mr Stoltenberg’s fifth trip to Ukraine as NATO Secretary General, and his second since Russia’s full-scale invasion.
President Zelenskyy said that Ukraine and NATO have already established defense coalitions and that Ukraine’s membership in the Alliance would be natural and beneficial for both sides. He also said that he discussed with Stoltenberg the key defense issues, such as the situation on the battlefield, the needs of Ukrainian soldiers, and the pressure on Russia.
“We are doing everything to make it happen sooner,” Zelenskyy said about Ukraine’s de jure membership in NATO. “We are capable of exerting further pressure on the aggressor so that Russia would only retreat and lose. And this is the right tactic,” he added.
The two leaders also agreed to prepare for the next NATO Summit, which will be held in Washington in 2024, and to make it productive for Ukraine and NATO.
The meeting between Zelenskyy and Stoltenberg was seen as a sign of solidarity and cooperation between Ukraine and NATO amid the ongoing Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine and Crimea. Russia has repeatedly opposed Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO and has threatened to take countermeasures if Ukraine becomes a member of the Alliance.
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