Correspondence from Vilnius// Jens Stoltenberg announced a new support package for Ukraine
Ukraine will become a member of NATO without the obligation to fulfill an Accession Action Plan, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a press conference. The invitation to join the Alliance will be sent when the allies decide that the conditions are met, the official said.
At the same time, according to Stoltenberg, Ukraine's accession path will be simplified.
*“What we have approved is a substantial package and it is practical support. We have also agreed to a substantial package of military support, because if Ukraine does not assert itself on the battlefield, we have no accession process to discuss", the NATO Secretary General also said during the conference.
Stoltenberg also said NATO would help Ukraine move to NATO training standards.
At the same time, he mentioned that the leaders of the North Atlantic Alliance approved the creation of the Ukraine-NATO Council - a new body of cooperation between Kiev and the Alliance: "The Ukraine-NATO Council is a forum for crisis consultations and decision-making, where we will meet equally."
When asked what are the conditions that Ukraine does not yet meet in order to receive the invitation, Jens Stoltenberg replied: “One is the level or to what extent it addresses the modernization of defense and security institutions, to strengthen their governance, including the fight against corruption. We need strong governance and we also want armed forces that are interoperable with NATO."
"Allies agree that when there is a war, it is not the time to make Ukraine a full member of the alliance," the NATO official continued.
Also, he emphasized that it was the first time that NATO eliminated the requirement of an Accession Action Plan for a country on the path to accession.
Meanwhile, a concert in support of Ukraine takes place in the center of Vilnius, attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.
