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Ukraine’s membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will be discussed during the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius.
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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the membership, establishment of the NATO-Ukraine Council, and discussions about a multi-year program of assistance to Ukraine will be on the agenda at the summit from 11 to 12 July in Lithuania.
It’s understood that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will also join the summit for the inaugural meeting of the new NATO-Ukraine Council.
NATO member Türkiye recently released five commanders from Ukraine’s former garrison in Mariupol back to the country after they were captured by Russia at the start of the war.
“Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine continues to rage on. For 500 days, Moscow has brought death and destruction to the heart of Europe, seeking to destroy Ukraine and divide NATO,” Stoltenberg said.
“At the summit, we will make Ukraine even … stronger and set out a vision for its future.
“I expect allied leaders will agree (on) a package with three elements to bring Ukraine closer to NATO. I expect allied leaders will reaffirm that Ukraine will become a member of NATO and unite on how to bring Ukraine closer to its goal.
“We will also help build Ukraine’s security and defence sector, including with military hospitals, and we will help Ukraine transition from Soviet-era to NATO equipment and standards.
“To execute these plans, NATO is putting 300,000 troops on higher readiness, including substantial air and naval combat power.”
Leadership from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea will also be in attendance at the summit to discuss issues of cyber security, maritime security, and new technologies. Representatives of the European Union will join discussions.
French President Emmanuel Macron has reportedly informed NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg that the country opposes NATO plans to open an office in Tokyo.
Secretary General Stoltenberg said the summit will cover plans for the Atlantic and European Arctic, the Baltic region and central Europe, and the Mediterranean and Black Sea to counter the main NATO threats of Russia and terrorism.
Alliance leaders will also look at a Defence Production Action Plan to aggregate demand, boost capacity, and increase interoperability. A more ambitious defence investment pledge of spending a minimum of 2 per cent of gross domestic product annually on defence is expected.
“For almost 75 years, NATO has been the strongest alliance in history. The decisions we will take at the Vilnius summit will ensure we continue to protect our people and our values,” he said.
“In 2023, there will be a real increase of 8.3 percent across European allies and Canada.
“This is the biggest increase in decades and the ninth consecutive year of increases in our defence spending.
“This year, 11 allies (will) reach or exceed the target (of 2 per cent of GDP on defence). We expect this number will rise substantially next year.”
The summit marks Finland’s first summit as a NATO ally and continuing efforts to ensure Sweden joins as soon as possible.
