UK would support Ukraine’s simplified NATO accession.

The U.K. would be very supportive if Ukraine was able to skip NATO's "membership action plan" (MAP) and join the alliance through a simplified process, U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London on June 21, as reported[1] by the Guardian. "I think the U.K.'s position would be very, very supportive if we moved on from the membership action plan recognizing that the offer to both Sweden and Finland didn't require that and Ukrainians have demonstrated their commitment to reform the military for the requirement of NATO membership through their actions on the battlefield," Cleverly said, as quoted by the media.

"I think all NATO allies recognize that," he added. On June 17, however, U.S. President Joe Biden said he wouldn't ease barriers[2] to Ukraine's membership in NATO because the country has to meet the same standards as other members.

"I think they've done everything related to demonstrating the ability to coordinate militarily, but there's a whole issue of, is their system secure? Is it non-corrupt? Does it meet all the standards everyone, every other nation in NATO, does?

I think it will. I think it can. But it's not automatic," he said.

Biden's stance contradicts previous reports that he had supported a proposal[3] by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to announce that Ukraine does not need to implement a MAP to join NATO, according to Axios, citing two people familiar with the matter. If other allies accept Stoltenberg's proposal, Ukraine will follow the path of new member Finland, which skipped the MAP process. MAP is a program that provides "advice, assistance, and practical support" customized to the unique needs of each country seeking to meet the requirements for joining the military alliance.

Ukraine applied for a fast-track NATO accession on Sept.

30 after Russia illegally claimed the annexation of Ukrainian territory. However, until Russia's war against Ukraine ends, the country's prospects of definitive NATO membership remain uncertain.

Kyiv's frustration boils as flow of Western chips for Russian missiles continues uninterrupted Destroyed apartments, burnt-out cars, lives upturned or extinguished altogether: Russia's June 13 missile attack on the city of Kryvyi Rih was, in many ways, nothing out of the ordinary for wartime Ukraine.

The evening after the attack, which killed 13 civilians, President Volodymyr Zelensky came o...

[4] The Kyiv Independent news desk

We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.

References

  1. ^ reported (www.theguardian.com)
  2. ^ wouldn't ease barriers (kyivindependent.com)
  3. ^ supported a proposal (kyivindependent.com)
  4. ^ Kyiv's frustration boils as flow of Western chips for Russian missiles continues uninterruptedDestroyed apartments, burnt-out cars, lives upturned or extinguished altogether: Russia's June 13 missile attack on the city of Kryvyi Rih was, in many ways, nothing out of the ordinary for wartime Ukraine.

    The evening after the attack, which killed 13 civilians, President Volodymyr Zelensky came o... (kyivindependent.com)

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