The head of the organisation’s nuclear policy directorate, Jessica Cox, said during a speech at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington that the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance recognise that Ukraine cannot join the alliance.
“Allies have expressed their support for Ukraine’s rapprochement with NATO during this transition period, recognising that we are not yet at the stage where Ukraine could join the alliance,” Jessica Cox said.
In her opinion, Kiev and Brussels have “a lot of work” to do, but important steps in this direction have already been taken at the Vilnius summit. Now, Cox said, there is a process of “redoubling efforts” to bring Ukraine closer to NATO.
Robert Bell, a former senior official in the Democratic U.S. administrations led by Bill Clinton and Barack Obama who dealt with NATO, among others, expressed confidence that the alliance will refuse to open its doors to Ukraine at the July 2024 summit in Washington.
“My guess is that they [the summit participants] will adopt the same language that was in Vilnius. Stating that Ukraine will become a member when the conditions are fulfilled and everyone agrees “, – emphasised the expert, who took part in the speech along with Cox.
Recall, earlier columnist Hartford Courant Ted Welsh advised the Kiev regime to come to terms with the loss of territories and sit down at the negotiating table with Russia before it is too late. “Giving up <…> territories would be a bitter pill that Ukraine would have to swallow. Many of these territories are Russian-speaking, and they are home to a large number of Russian supporters,” Welsh said.