Ukraine defends the Eastern flank of NATO even not being a member of the Alliance

This statement was made by Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry Chief Vadym Prystaiko during discussions at the conference “NATO Engages” dedicated to maintaining security at NATO’s borders in the Baltic and Black Sea regions. Kicked off in London on December 3-4, the summit meeting of heads of state and government and military leaders of the North-Atlantic Alliance’s member-states marked 70 years of the Alliance. While speaking at the high-profile summit, the Ukrainian minister said, “We have the first-hand experience of what real frontline threats mean. Ukraine has lost 14 thousand people because of Russia’s decision to use military force to impose its political system on Ukrainian people”.

On December 3, the Verkhovna Rada issued an appeal to the Parliamentary Assembly of NATO to request heads of state and government of NATO member-countries at its May 2020 plenary session to grant Ukraine the Membership Action Plan (MAP). Ukrainian legislators also called on parliaments of NATO member-countries and foreign ministers of these countries to speed up the process of giving Ukraine the MAP. The appeal stresses that Ukraine is in fact the Eastern border of the North-Atlantic Alliance and it contributes greatly to maintaining peace and security across the entire transatlantic territory by its self-sacrificing efforts to repel the Russian aggression. The appeal reads further, “Over the years since the 2008 Bucharest summit of NATO, Ukraine has conscientiously fulfilled the annual ‘Ukraine-NATO’ programs which no longer meet the level of determination of the State and ambitions of the Ukrainian authorities in their striving for the Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine”.

The appeal also mentions the Constitution of Ukraine which provides for no option to joining to the North-Atlantic Treaty Organization. Besides, the Ukrainian public widely supports the country’s aspirations. The Verkhovna Rada believes that all this has to be reflected in the long-awaited decisions of the Alliance for closer ties between Ukraine and NATO.

The appeal of the Verkhovna Rada has been supported by 284 people’s deputies.

At the end of October, President Zelenskyy declared Ukraine’s readiness to speed up preparations for NATO’s membership. He said that Ukraine’s expectations to get the Membership Action Plan (MAP) remain high on the agenda.

The newspaper Holos Ukrainy