Ukraine will be a NATO member in the future, says secretary general

On a visit to Helsinki, capital of Finland, this Tuesday (28.Feb.202), the secretary general of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), Jens Stoltenberg, said that Ukraine will become a member of the organization in “long term”.

“NATO countries agree that Ukraine must become a member of the alliance, but at the same time, it is a long-term perspective”, he declared. Read the full speech (166 KB, in English).

A visit from Stoltenberg to Helsinki is to discuss the inclusion of Finland and Sweden in NATO.

The countries requested to join the alliance in 2022, but the request is obstructed by Turkey, which uses the veto as a bargaining chip to request the extradition of exiled Kurdish separatists in Sweden and obtain privileged contracts for the purchase of military fighter jets from the United States.

In his speech, the secretary-general praised the Nordic countries’ support for Ukraine in the war against Russia and said he was trying to convince other NATO members of the importance of approving membership in the organization.

“We are working hard and using the argument that of course it will be good for Finland and Sweden, but it will also be good for NATO to have them as members as soon as possible”said Stoltenberg.

“We don’t know when this war will end, but when it does, we must ensure that history does not repeat itself. The president [da Rússia, Vladimir] Putin cannot continue to undermine European security.”these.

Ukraine’s entry into NATO is seen as a threat to the government of Vladimir Putin, as the group has the United States as its main leadership. Adherence would allow the US greater access to the Russian border, an issue seen as an existential threat by Moscow.

Stoltenberg also recalled that NATO has tried to dialogue with Russia in the past, but with no positive results.

“At the end of the Cold War, many of us in this room believed that we could build a better relationship with Russia”these. “But President Putin chose to move away from cooperation and dialogue, he left a trail of unfulfilled promises. , broke fundamental principles of global security by attacking neighboring countries and tried to undermine our own democracies.”