Ukraine asserts that it does not give up its intention to join NATO, despite the repeated rejection of the military bloc

Olga Stevanishina, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, said Kyiv has not given up its intention to join NATO, despite repeated rejections by the Atlantic bloc.

In an interview with the Spanish newspaper El País on Tuesday, Stefanishina stated that NATO’s “reluctance” to accept Ukraine, which in 2008 received an invitation from that organization during the Bucharest summit, led to the current military conflict with Moscow and brought Russian President Vladimir Putin “to where He is now.”

Despite the fact that Kyiv, during its negotiations with Moscow, said it was open to giving up its intention to join NATO, in exchange for other countries providing security guarantees, Stevanishina insists that Ukraine “did not give up or delay” his claim to be part of that military bloc.

Sweden and Finland will become members of NATO as soon as possible. Amid the conflict in Ukraine, the official said, referring to recent decisions by Scandinavian governments to reconsider their old policy of non-alignment.

Similarly, the deputy prime minister asserted that Ukraine’s president, Vladimir Zelensky, had “every right to be decisive” in the face of “disappointing” messages from NATO leaders, and argued that Kyiv expected more from that organization.

“It is frustrating that a country that has enshrined in its constitution the aspirations to join NATO, which has been implementing national programs directed at NATO and transforming the security and defense sector on the basis of NATO standards, has always heard the message that the point has not been reached. Or ‘We will not take this Resolution,” he slammed.

During the interview, Stefanishina revealed that Kyiv will submit the second part of the questionnaire required for its application to join the European Union this week, and hopes that the European Commission will recommend Ukraine to be granted candidate status and that the decision will be made. in June. .

Zelensky signed his country’s application to join the European Union on February 28, and called for Ukraine’s immediate integration into the bloc. In the same week, Georgia and Moldova announced similar requests.