Another country speaks out against Ukraine’s NATO membership
4 December 2024 07:47
Luxembourg opposes Ukraine’s accession to the North Atlantic Alliance, as it fears an increase in “tensions” afterwards. Spiegel writes about this with reference to the country’s Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel, according to
During a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on December 3, Bettel did not support the idea of Ukraine joining the Alliance.
“I believe that NATO membership will bring tensions again,” he said.
According to the Luxembourg Foreign Minister, membership of a country attacked by Russia could immediately lead to further conflicts.
Instead, the minister supported Ukraine’s membership in the European Union.
A Ukrainian delegation also attended the talks in Brussels. Prior to the meeting, Ukraine made it clear that it considers NATO membership the only real guarantee of security in the event of a ceasefire with Russia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv stated that it “will not accept any alternative, any imitation or any substitute for Ukraine’s full membership.
The country can only be admitted to the defense alliance if all the current 32 member states agree. So far, this has also been rejected by Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
As reported by
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Ukraine-NATO
Relations between Ukraine and NATO began shortly after Ukraine gained independence in 1991. In 1994, Ukraine joined the Partnership for Peace program, which was the first step towards cooperation with the Alliance. In 1997, the Charter on a Distinctive Partnership between Ukraine and NATO was signed, which defined the main areas of cooperation.
An important milestone was the 2008 NATO Bucharest Summit, at which it was stated that Ukraine and Georgia would become members of the Alliance in the future, although no specific timeline was set.
After the Revolution of Dignity in 2014 and the beginning of Russian aggression, cooperation between Ukraine and NATO intensified significantly. Ukraine was granted NATO’s Enhanced Opportunities Partner status in 2020.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 further strengthened cooperation. NATO countries provide Ukraine with significant military, financial, and humanitarian assistance. However, despite Ukraine’s aspirations for full membership in the Alliance and NATO’s continued support for Ukraine, the issue of accession remains a subject of debate and diplomatic negotiations.
At the Vilnius Summit in 2023, it was announced that Ukraine would become a member of the Alliance without MAP.
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