The NATO-Ukraine Council, comprised of Foreign Ministers, met for the first time, welcoming Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced the approval of an ambitious work program for the next year, covering energy security, innovation, and interoperability.
The focus is on transforming NATO’s comprehensive assistance package into a multi-year assistance program to help Ukraine transition to NATO equipment and standards.
Foreign Ministers also discussed Ukraine’s path to Alliance membership and made recommendations on Ukraine’s priority reforms, such as fighting corruption, strengthening the rule of law, and supporting human and minority rights. According to the Secretary General, “Ukraine won the battles for Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson last year.”
This year, they have continued to inflict significant losses on Russia… Above all, Ukraine has triumphed as a sovereign, independent, and democratic nation. This is a significant accomplishment – a significant victory.” “Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before,” he said, adding that “we will continue to support them on the path to membership.”
Concerning the situation on the ground, Mr Stoltenberg emphasized Ukraine’s significant progress this year, both on land and in the Black Sea.
Meanwhile, he stated that Russia is losing political influence in its neighboring countries, has suffered over 300,000 casualties, has lost a significant portion of its conventional forces, and is under economic pressure. Russia has become “weaker politically, militarily, and economically… “Year after year, Moscow mortgages its future to Beijing,” he said, concluding that “all of this underscores Putin’s strategic error in invading Ukraine.”
Discussions also included Ukraine’s path to NATO membership and recommendations for priority reforms. Stoltenberg emphasized Ukraine’s significant achievements in maintaining sovereignty and independence, stating that Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before.
He highlighted Russia’s weakening position politically, militarily, and economically, describing Putin’s invasion of Ukraine as a strategic mistake.
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