Ukraine will be invited to NATO when allies agree and conditions are met – Sttenberg

NATO Secretary General Jens Sttenberg said this at a press conference in Vilnius on Tuesday, July 11, after the meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of heads of state and government, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"We reaffirmed that Ukraine will become a member of NATO and agreed to remove the requirement for a Membership Action Plan. This would change Ukraine's membership path from a two-step process to a one-step process. We also made clear that we will issue an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO when allies agree and conditions are met," Sttenberg said.

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According to him, this decision is part of a package of three elements agreed by Allies "to bring Ukraine closer to NATO."

Sttenberg said that another element is "a new multi-year assistance program for Ukraine to enable the transition from Soviet-era to NATO standards, training and doctrines, to help rebuild Ukraine's security and defense sector and to cover critical needs like fuel, de-mining equipment and medical supplies."

Sttenberg said that the third element was the creation of a new NATO-Ukraine Council, which he called "a forum for crisis consultations and decision-making" where "we'll meet as equals."

"This is a strong package for Ukraine and a clear path towards its membership in NATO," he said.