Moscow [Russia], July 14: Speaking at a press conference after the NATO Summit, taking place in the capital Vilnius (Lithuania) from July 11 to 12, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the allies reaffirmed Ukraine will become a member of NATO. and agree to remove the Membership Action Plan (MAP) requirement.
Removing the MAP requirement would change Ukraine's route to NATO membership from a two-step process to a one-step process. "This sends a clear, strong and unifying message from our Vilnius Summit," Stoltenberg stressed. Ukrainian President VolodymyrZelensky said on the evening of July 12 that this NATO meeting has provided Ukraine with an unprecedented security platform and put it on the path to membership in the bloc, according to Reuters.
At the same press conference, Stoltenberg stressed that NATO must ensure that when the Russian-Ukrainian conflict ends, "there will be credible arrangements for the security of Ukraine, so that history does not repeat itself". NATO Secretary-General said that the most important thing now is to ensure that the Russia-Ukraine conflict ends in a sustainable way, so the most urgent task is to continue to provide military support to Kyiv.
Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry on the evening of July 12 issued a statement that the latest NATO meeting developments show that the alliance is returning to Cold War plans , according to TASS news agency. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the United States and its allies are increasing their military presence near Russia's borders, deploying offensive weapons systems there and regularly conducting drills that focus on offensive training. .
"Considering the identified challenges and threats to Russia's security and interests, we will respond promptly and appropriately, using all means and methods at our disposal. ", the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.
Source: ThanhNien Newspaper