Minister Reznikov: Ukraine successfully implements all three prerequisites for NATO membership

The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov in an interview with The Guardian, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“In Vilnius, the heads of state and government of NATO member countries will have an opportunity to correct the mistake of Bucharest 2008 and demonstrate responsible leadership, meeting our expectations. This will show Russia that its influence must end at its borders, and further aggression will only accelerate the collapse of the terrorist state,” Reznikov told.

In his words, the Ukrainian side does not demand the impossible.

“This is why our expectations from the Vilnius NATO summit are very realistic: to receive a guarantee of an invitation to join NATO after Ukraine’s victory in the war. We are ready to sign the accession protocol immediately to start the ratification and final accession procedure,” Reznikov noted.

The minister mentioned that the three key prerequisites for being a member of the Alliance were interoperability with NATO forces, a transparent procurement system and civilian control of the military.

“By now Ukraine has successfully implemented all three of these prerequisites,” Reznikov stressed.

According to him, it is in NATO’s interests to fortify its eastern flank given that Russia would remain a threat for the foreseeable future.

“In view of Russia’s aggressive stance, which is not going to change anytime soon, it is in the interest of NATO to enhance and fortify its eastern flank. Today, Ukraine is already serving as a protective shield for NATO’s eastern European members. If this shield cracks, the next victims of Russian aggression could be the Baltic states, Poland, Hungary or Slovakia,” Reznikov emphasized.

The Ukrainian minister expressed confidence that it is in NATO’s best interest that Ukraine’s combat experience (with the use of NATO standard weapons systems against the Russian army) is made fully available to NATO countries.

Reznikov noted that Ukrainians were keenly aware of the weak position Ukraine had been left in by the Budapest memorandum of 1994, under which the country gave up its nuclear arsenal in return for commitments from the United States, Russia and Britain “to respect the independence and sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine”.

“Importantly, today the support of Ukrainian people for our NATO membership is at a historically unprecedented level – a record high 83%. Not least because since 2014 we have seen first-hand the devastating impact of the failure of the Budapest memorandum,” Reznikov added.

Hence, NATO membership is perceived by the overwhelming majority of Ukrainians as the only possible efficient form of security guarantees for a peaceful future.

“And this is exactly why Ukraine’s membership in the NATO alliance, just as our territorial integrity, are non-negotiable,” Reznikov concluded.

A reminder that the NATO Summit will take place in Vilnius on July 11-12, 2023.

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