NATO's door remains open for Ukraine, but it needs help to defeat aggressor - Blinken

05.04.2023 21:50

Ukrinform

Ukraine has every prospect of becoming a member of the North Atlantic Alliance, but now NATO is focused on helping the country to defend itself against the Russian aggression and retake more of its territory, as well as to bring Ukraine up to Alliance standards.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this at a press conference in Brussels, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“Of course, NATO’s door remains open, there is no change in that. But we have to be in this moment focused intensely on the weeks and months ahead, particularly as Ukraine prepares for a counteroffensive,” he said.

Blinken specified that now the Alliance focuses on helping Ukraine to defend itself from Russian aggression and retake more of the territory that’s been seized from it by Russia.

“That’s our intense focus,” the U.S. Secretary of State said.

At the same time, according to him, the Alliance focuses on increasing Ukraine’s capacity in the long term. That is necessary so that Ukraine can deter aggression, defend against it and defeat the aggressor, if necessary, Blinken said.

“And a big part of that is bringing Ukraine up to NATO standards and to NATO interoperability, and I suspect that you’ll see that focus continue at the Vilnius Summit,” he said.

Blinken noted that he does not want to get ahead of the upcoming summit. However, according to him, with regard to Ukraine's membership prospects, NATO is now focused on these very practical steps that can be taken to bring Ukraine up to NATO standards.