Reznikov: Ukraine is de facto member of NATO.

Ukraine will be able to become a member of NATO because of its success in countering Russia, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said[1] on national television on July 8. "If Russia is the main threat to NATO, I have a simple question for my fellow defense ministers. If only one country in the world has modern, effective, successful experience with countering the Russian army, what other arguments do you need to invite Ukraine to the Alliance?" Reznikov asked.

"I am convinced - Ukraine is a de facto NATO country and will become a de jure NATO country," the minister concluded. Reznikov has been an outspoken supporter of Ukraine's entry into NATO, saying[2] on June 28 that Ukraine already fulfills all the key conditions for NATO membership. The next NATO summit will take place in Vilnius on July 11-12, where the topic of the Russia-Ukraine war is expected to occupy a high place on the agenda.

Despite this, the alliance has not made any promises to Ukraine about extending a membership offer, and has instead expressed[3] an intention to bring Ukraine "closer" to the alliance. Ukrainian officials, including Zelensky, have repeatedly asked NATO for a "clear signal," of the alliance's support for a future membership at the upcoming summit. Ukraine applied for NATO membership in September 2022, half a year into Russia's full-scale invasion of the country.

According to the Washington Post, there is so far no consensus[4] on Ukraine's NATO membership. Some Eastern and Central European allies voiced support for a clear membership path, while others remain hesitant. Zelensky recently said [5]that he knows there is no chance of Ukraine joining NATO before the war finishes, but still insists on a strong message of support for Ukraine at the summit.

Zelensky, Erdogan to meet in Istanbul

President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on July 7, the Turkish Presidency's Directorate of Communications wrote.

[6] Haley Zehrung

Haley Zehrung is a news reporter at the Kyiv Independent. Previously, she was a Title VIII Fellow at the Department of State, where she conducted archival research in Kyrgyzstan. She has also worked at C4ADS, the Middle East Institute, and Barnard College.

Haley completed a master's degree in Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Regional Studies at Columbia University with a focus on Central Asia.

References

  1. ^ said (www.youtube.com)
  2. ^ saying (kyivindependent.com)
  3. ^ expressed (kyivindependent.com)
  4. ^ consensus (www.washingtonpost.com)
  5. ^ said (kyivindependent.com)
  6. ^ Zelensky, Erdogan to meet in IstanbulPresident Volodymyr Zelensky will meet with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on July 7, the Turkish Presidency's Directorate of Communications wrote. (kyivindependent.com)

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