Former FM Klimkin expects Ukraine to join NATO before EU membership but “not tomorrow”

Ukraine’s former Foreign Affairs Minister Pavlo Klimkin believes Ukraine will join NATO sooner than it will gain full membership in the European Union, but “not tomorrow”.

The relevant statement was made by the Ukrainian diplomat on the air of Ukrinform: Evening Stream.

“We have decent prospects – we will be a member of NATO. I think this will happen sooner than EU membership, but not tomorrow,” Klimkin said.

In his words, Ukraine’s prospects for receiving an invitation to NATO at the Alliance’s Washington Summit are challenging.

“I am rather pessimistic about the Washington Summit, although there are different points of view opposing each other now, including within the U.S. administration. But, I absolutely believe that in the coming years we will gain membership in NATO,” Klimkin noted.

According to him, there are no other security options for Ukraine and reasonable solutions regarding the military commitments of partners.

Commenting on Ukraine’s identity in global diplomacy, Klimkin mentioned that it has certain peculiarities.

“Of course, we do not determine world events, and, what will happen around us, we will jointly determine with the key players. But, it will no longer happen without us, and this is our identity,” Klimkin stressed.

In his opinion, one of the very important conclusions made by the West is that it is impossible to force Ukrainians accept anything.