Participants in the meeting issued the Brussels Summit Communiqué which says about Ukraine, “We reiterate the decision made at the 2008 Bucharest Summit that Ukraine will become a member of the Alliance with the Membership Action Plan (MAP) as an integral part of the process.”

The leaders of the Alliance stress, “We stand firm in our support for Ukraine’s right to decide its own future and foreign policy course free from outside interference. The Annual National Programmes under the NATO-Ukraine Commission (NUC) remain the mechanism by which Ukraine takes forward the reforms pertaining to its aspiration for NATO membership. Ukraine should make full use of all instruments available under the NUC to reach its objective of implementing NATO principles and standards.”

In the Brussels Summit Communiqué, the NATO leaders stress that “success of wide-ranging, sustainable, and irreversible reforms, including combating corruption, promoting an inclusive political process, and decentralisation reform, based on democratic values, respect for human rights, minorities, and the rule of law, will be crucial in laying the groundwork for a prosperous and peaceful Ukraine.”

They noted that the Enhanced Opportunities Partner status granted Ukraine last year provides for further impetus to already ambitious cooperation between Ukraine and NATO and will promote greater interoperability, with the option of more joint exercises, training, and enhanced situational awareness.

Speaking ahead of the Brussels summit, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the meeting would not announce the exact dates of probable admission of Ukraine and Georgia to the Alliance. According to Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană, there is no agreement so far among the Alliance’s members whether Ukraine should be granted the MAP.

However, Ukrainian analysts claim that due to decisive actions of the Ukrainian leadership the summit participants stated in definite terms that Ukraine would have a MAP to become a full member of NATO.

Thus, the country’s top-ranking officials articulated the demand of the official Kyiv for NATO membership to Ukraine. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said ahead of the Brussels summit, “Ukraine was promised membership back in 2008. Since then NATO has done nothing to realize its promise”. He clarified that the Ukrainian authorities are aware of the fact that the path to NATO will take time but the process has to be launched as soon as possible.

Andriy Yermak, the chief of the presidential office, made the similar statement. He said, “We do believe that our partners will be able to reach a consensus with regard to our membership in NATO. Ukraine’s future depends on their decision. The Ukrainian President said the other day that we are in danger and we need help.”

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly said that Ukraine’s membership in NATO is the only chance to end the war in Donbas, southeast Ukraine. “We work to reform our army and the defense sector, but reforms are not enough to stop Russia”, insisted the Ukrainian President during his recent meeting with Jens Stoltenberg.

British expert for Ukraine, Timothy Ash, wrote on the eve of the Brussels summit meeting of NATO, “The West I think just needs to remind itself that while Ukraine has made disappointing progress fighting corruption, that over 14,000 Ukrainians have lost their lives fighting to defend Western values, and Ukrainian troops continue to die on an almost daily basis in this just cause. Indeed, 250,000 Ukrainian troops are now on the front line for NATO, defending NATO states in effect from Russian aggression. The least NATO could do would be to offer them a MAP, at least to augment their defensive capabilities and indeed better help defend us all, and irrespective of the eventual decision on NATO membership.”

The newspaper Voice of Ukraine