Ukraine has achieved three key prerequisites for joining NATO, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told The Guardian on June 28.
Reznikov listed these conditions as interoperability with NATO forces, a transparent procurement system, and civilian control of the military.
The minister said that Ukraine must be offered to join the Alliance after the war, describing the membership as "non-negotiable."
The Ukrainian government nevertheless recognizes the invitation cannot come as long as the war continues, Reznikov added.
"We would want a... signal at the NATO summit that Ukraine will get security guarantees – not instead of NATO, but for the time until we are in the alliance."
NATO leaders are set to convene in Vilnius between July 11-12, with the Russo-Ukrainian War high on the agenda.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he will not attend the summit unless Ukraine receives a membership invitation or "some kind of signal."
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg however revealed that the invitation will not be discussed during the summit. The debate will rather focus on deepening military and political cooperation between Kyiv and the Alliance, the NATO chief said.
Ukraine applied for NATO membership in September 2022, half a year into the full-scale Russian invasion.
According to the Washington Post, there is so far no consensus on Ukraine's NATO membership. Some Eastern and Central European allies voiced support for a clear membership path, while others remain hesitant.
France and Germany favor "stronger, concrete, very clear security guarantees" over discussions on Ukraine's accession. Paris even indicated it is ready to provide such guarantees itself, comparing it to an "Israeli-style" security agreement.
Viktoriia Lapa
