Zelenskyy Calls For End To Uncertainty On Ukraine's Future NATO Membership

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed impatience at the delay in clarifying the question of his country's membership in NATO, saying Ukraine wants to get a clear list of reforms necessary for integration into the alliance

KIEV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th July, 2021) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed impatience at the delay in clarifying the question of his country's membership in NATO, saying Ukraine wants to get a clear list of reforms necessary for integration into the alliance.

"Thirteen years after the NATO summit in Bucharest, the period of uncertainty should be ended and the confirmation of the political decision on Ukraine's future NATO membership should begin to be implemented," Zelenskyy said while opening the session of Ukrainian reforms conference in Vilnius on Wednesday.

Kiev's Euro-Atlantic aspirations may be achieved only through the successful implementation of Ukrainian reforms, the president added.

"We will continue to do everything to accelerate the pace of reforms in Ukraine, including through the implementation of annual national programs under the aegis of Ukraine-NATO. But today we would like to receive a list of reforms, the implementation of which will allow Ukraine to specifically move to the next step - to the integration with the alliance," the president said.

Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine wants to have specific criteria agreed upon with the alliance by which the success of reforms and readiness for membership will be assessed in the future.

"I know that the idea of holding a NATO summit in Vilnius in 2023 is being discussed. We will only welcome if Lithuania hosts the event, and if NATO countries demonstrate something new in relation to Ukraine within the framework of this event," Zelenskyy said.

At the NATO summit in Brussels last month, the leaders of member states supported the right of Ukraine and Georgia to join the alliance and emphasized the need to continue reforms without specifying a possible timeframe for the accession.

Commenting on the summit, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Kiev had carried out enough reforms to receive a NATO Membership Action Plan but "unwillingness to send such a signal to Russia" remains the main obstacle to obtaining it. According to the diplomat, Kiev expects to receive an action plan in 2022.

In December 2014, Ukraine amended two laws, abandoning the non-aligned status of the state. In February 2019, the Ukrainian parliament adopted amendments to the constitution, securing the country's course towards the EU and NATO. Ukraine is the sixth state to receive NATO Enhanced Opportunities Partner status.