NATO promised to provide Ukraine with the maximum number of air defense systems
4 December 2024 11:47
Ukraine’s NATO partners have welcomed Kyiv’s request to supply a significant number of air defense systems to protect critical infrastructure, including nuclear facilities.
This was stated by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in a commentary to journalists after a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council on Tuesday evening, reports "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to Yevropeiska Pravda.
“We discussed what to do to ensure that Ukraine receives air defense to protect its critical infrastructure,”
– Rutte said.
He acknowledged that providing Ukraine with the necessary systems is not an easy task, as the Alliance does not have a surplus of such means, and the existing systems perform important functions in member states.
“As you know, there is no surplus of air defense systems in the world. But there was a clear agreement at the table that the partners would support Ukraine. All those systems that can be provided to Ukraine will be provided,”
– rutte assured.
The NATO Secretary General refrained from specifying the number and types of air defense systems that could be provided to Ukraine. However, he emphasized the agreement reached to maximize joint efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s defense.
“We are doing everything possible to ensure that all the air defense systems that can be transferred are transferred to Ukraine,”
– Mark Rutte summarized.
As reported by , yesterday the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry made a tough statement that Ukraine will not accept any security guarantees except for joining NATO. This statement was timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Budapest Memorandum, but was released a few days earlier, just before the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting. However, it apparently did not make a deep impression on NATO representatives, as it did not even receive an official response. Only Luxembourg stated that it was against Ukraine’s accession to the Alliance.
NATO-Ukraine relations
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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