A bitter war of aggression is currently raging in Ukraine. When it's over, NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg wants to ensure that "history doesn't repeat itself." Once again, Ukraine has been given the prospect of joining the alliance - but only as a "long-term perspective".
According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Ukraine will be a "long-term" member of the military alliance. "NATO allies agree that Ukraine will become a member of the alliance," Stoltenberg said in Helsinki. However, this is "a long-term perspective," he added.
At the moment, the most important thing is to support Ukraine in the Russian war of aggression, Stoltenberg explained at a joint press conference with Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin. But when the war is over, "we have to make sure history doesn't repeat itself," stressed the NATO Secretary General.
Russian President Vladimir Putin should not continue to attack the neighboring country. "He wants to control Ukraine and he's not planning peace, he's planning more war," he added. Ukraine joining NATO would cross a red line for the Kremlin; Among other things, he justifies his war of aggression by saying that this is precisely what must not happen.
On Friday, NATO promised Ukraine further support in the fight against the Russian army on the anniversary of the start of the war. The military alliance stressed that it was "determined" to continue to support Ukraine. On February 24, 2022, the Russian army invaded the neighboring country on the orders of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin.
At the NATO summit in Bucharest in 2008, the alliance of Ukraine and Georgia already held out the prospect of accession. "NATO welcomes the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of Ukraine and Georgia to join NATO. We agreed today that these countries will become members of NATO," said the closing statement at the Bucharest NATO summit almost 15 years ago.
