The big question at the NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius is what Ukraine will listen to. It is expected that the allies will give Ukraine the prospect of joining NATO, but this will take some time. However, the road to NATO is getting easier, reveals outgoing Prime Minister Rutte.
According to Rutte, Ukraine has already been told that their future “lies in NATO,” Rutte said in Vilnius. “However, he won’t go so far that today he’s being told: You can join.” The fact that it won’t come to that is because Ukraine is still at war with Russia, the outgoing prime minister stressed. “We must ensure that Ukraine is fully ready in terms of standards, so that it can easily join NATO.”
However, agreement has yet to be reached with NATO allies on this, Rutte says. Then it will be about bringing the defense of Ukraine to the level of NATO. Then the Ukrainian units will be able to cooperate more easily with those of NATO».
Rutte also reveals that Ukraine must take a shorter route to join NATO. To this end, an “intermediate stage” is removed from the procedure. According to Rutte, for example, it will be the “MAP procedure”, in which Ukraine has to report annually on the various policy areas of the country.
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No long process
The intention is not for Ukraine to get stuck in endless procedures on its way to NATO membership. “Nobody wants that,” says Rutte. “There’s a need to ultimately ensure that the prospect is there for the long term, but you can’t say today, ‘We invite you.’ However, you can take whatever action is needed and remove the steps that slow you down.’
Rutte does not expect that there will be NATO allies who, just as with the accession of Sweden and Finland, will raise barriers for Ukraine. “Turkey has already spoken very positively about Ukraine.”
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
