NATO Deputy Secretary General: Ukraine joining NATO is a matter of "when" not "if"

According to NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana, Ukraine will definitely join NATO in the future, so long as political conditions are met.

“Ukraine is getting closer to NATO almost every day,” he said. “I cannot say when, but I know that Ukraine will be part of the Euro-Atlantic family.”

Preconditions for Ukraine to join the organization include having a “robust military, democracy, and economy.”

Geoana reaffirmed the harmony among the 32 member states in their decision-making, even amidst uncertainties surrounding Hungary and Slovakia’s positions, given their leaders’ recent hesitations to provide weapons and aid to Ukraine.

“Of course, you see nuances from allies, but we do not see major differences in terms of continuing supporting Ukraine or investing in our own defense,” Geoana said. “We are dealing with the most precious thing which is national security and defense of the nation.”

Ukraine formally applied to join NATO in September 2022. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced this during a video address on September 3o 2022, and he claimed that Ukraine should be a candidate for fast-track accession.

NATO military delegation visits Kyiv for first time since start of full-scale invasion

Admiral Rob Bauer gave a speech at the Kyiv Security Forum, in which he said that his visit “is testament to the fact that NATO and Ukraine are closer than they have ever been.”

The Kyiv IndependentElsa Court