NATO-Ukraine Council meets for the first time

The NATO-Ukraine Council, which was established to take NATO-Ukraine relations to the next level, met for the first time in its history.

The first meeting of the Council was held at the level of heads of state and government at the NATO Summit held in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. The President of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was present at the meeting, along with the leaders of 31 NATO countries, as well as the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Zelenskiy, who was greeted with applause by NATO leaders, sat between President Erdogan and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the seating arrangement prepared according to the names of the countries.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who chaired the meeting, emphasized in his opening remarks that Ukraine stands with its NATO allies as “equals” in the Council. Reiterating NATO’s support for Ukraine, Stoltenberg said: “We are inspired by your courage. “We must continue to support Ukraine to liberate the territory from it and deter future Russian aggression,” he said.

‘HIGH RISK OF RUSSIA WINNING THE WAR’

Stoltenberg also told the joint press conference they held after NATO’s meeting with Zelenskiy on the sidelines of the Vilnius Summit: “NATO will be with you as long as it takes.”

Stoltenberg recalled that a new multi-year military support package was agreed at the Vilnius Summit, so that the Soviet-era military inventory would become NATO standards, saying: “When the conditions are met and the allies are OK, an invitation will be sent to NATO.” sent to Ukraine”.

Stoltenberg said that Russia’s defeat of Ukraine in the war represents a risk not only for Ukraine but also for the West. “If Putin wins, it will be a tragedy for Ukraine, but it is also a danger for us. This will make us more vulnerable.” Stoltenberg stressed that Ukraine is free to choose its own path, that Russia has no say in this matter, and that only NATO allies can decide on Ukraine’s NATO membership. (AA)