Ukrainian official names biggest supporters of Ukraine's NATO invitation
The biggest supporters of inviting Ukraine to join NATO are allies from Central and Eastern Europe, and also several key EU states.
Source: Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, in an interview with European Pravda
Details: Stefanishyna noted that Ukraine's invitation to NATO is already supported by all the countries of NATO's eastern flank, proving that their own security depends on it.
Stefanishyna answered a question on clarification as to whether Hungary is included in these countries and said that she was speaking about the position of the entire Bucharest Nine.
Quote: "A summit of the Bucharest Nine took place on 6 June with the participation of the Secretary General, in which the Hungarian President took part, and the decisions were officially signed, including by the Hungarian side. We must understand that Ukraine's membership in NATO is being promoted not so much in the interests of Kyiv, as in the interests of the security of its eastern flank. Of course, Hungary, as a NATO member, retains the right to oppose at any stage, but I don't have the feeling that it could be a ‘black sheep’ that will block the process," she said.
Stefanishyna added that there are also supporters of Ukraine's invitation to the Alliance in Western and Northern Europe.
According to her, France is among those. President Emmanuel Macron supports Ukraine's membership of NATO and he wants the established Ukraine-NATO Council to be a "bridge" for this.
"And this is more than simple support for Ukraine: France is the leader of the initiative on the strategic autonomy of Europe, and Macron really believes that the decision on Ukraine should be made in NATO now," Stefanishyna added.
She said that Italy's position is also "obvious and unambiguous". Northern European countries, in particular Denmark and Norway, also act as a "united flank" in support of Ukraine's invitation.
The deputy prime minister did not give a direct answer to the question of whether the position of US President Joe Biden is really the main obstacle.
"It is no secret that the US role has always been key. It is key even now, in the negotiations with Türkiye regarding Sweden's membership of NATO. In Bucharest, when the US insisted that Ukraine receive an action plan for NATO membership, and Europe was against it.
And now the situation is diametrically different. Now it is not the US, but Europe that is demanding that Ukraine be in NATO," Stefanyshyn said.
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