At a summit held in Washington, the leaders of the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) confirmed that "Ukraine's future is in NATO" and that its path is "irreversible."
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In the declaration released after a meeting of NATO's North Atlantic Council on Wednesday, the leaders did not specify a time frame for Ukraine to join the defense alliance. Instead, they reiterated that "they will be able to invite Ukraine to join the alliance when the allies agree and the conditions are met."
"We fully support Ukraine’s right to choose its own security arrangements and decide its own future, free from outside interference. Ukraine’s future is in NATO. Ukraine has become increasingly interoperable and politically integrated with the Alliance. We welcome the concrete progress Ukraine has made since the Vilnius Summit on its required democratic, economic, and security reforms. As Ukraine continues this vital work, we will continue to support it on its irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership. We reaffirm that we will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance when Allies agree and conditions are met. The Summit decisions by NATO and the NATO-Ukraine Council, combined with Allies’ ongoing work, constitute a bridge to Ukraine’s membership in NATO," the leaders said.
The declaration states that Ukraine's struggle for its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, within its internationally recognized borders, directly contributes to Euro-Atlantic security.
The declaration also states that NATO members will provide Ukraine with additional air defense capabilities to defend against continued Russian aggression, including targeted Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities, civilians, and critical infrastructure. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed that Ukraine will receive American F-16 aircraft.
"Its aim is to place security assistance to Ukraine on an enduring footing, ensuring enhanced, predictable, and coherent support. NSATU, which will operate in Allied states, will support Ukraine’s self-defence in line with the UN Charter. NSATU will not, under international law, make NATO a party to the conflict. It will support the transformation of Ukraine’s defence and security forces, enabling its further integration with NATO," the declaration reads.
The leaders also announced a "pledge of long-term support" and an intention to provide 40 billion euros in funding to Ukraine over the next year.
The declaration said China was providing "crucial" support to Russia's defense industrial base: "We call on China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council with special responsibility for upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, to end all material and political support for Russia's war effort."
Georgia is mentioned several times in the declaration, but there is no indication of it becoming a member of the alliance. In particular, the leaders call on Russia to "withdraw its forces from the Republic of Moldova and Georgia, which are stationed there without their consent."
NATO leaders welcome efforts by Moldova, as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina, to continue democratic reforms with European integration. "We are committed to supporting their security and defense capabilities and strengthening their capabilities against hybrid threats," the statement said.
For the Alliance, the Western Balkans and Black Sea regions are of strategic importance: "We will further monitor and assess developments in the region and strengthen our situational awareness, with a special focus on our security challenges and potential opportunities for closer cooperation with our partners in the region. NATO supports the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of the countries interested in this region," the declaration reads.
The leaders of the 32 member countries of the alliance arrived in Washington for the 75th-anniversary summit of NATO. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was also invited to the summit.
