NATO has closed the 'door' to Ukraine.
(Baonghean.vn) - Member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) acknowledge that Ukraine is not yet ready to join the alliance. In addition, some NATO countries have blocked aid to Kyiv.
According to Ria Novosti, in a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, the head of NATO's nuclear policy directorate, Jessica Cox, stated that NATO member states acknowledge that Ukraine is not yet ready to join the alliance.
"Countries have expressed their support for Ukraine resuming relations with NATO during this transitional period. However, they acknowledge that neither NATO nor Ukraine is yet ready for Ukraine to join the alliance," said Jessica Cox.
According to Cox, Kyiv and Brussels still have "a lot of work" to do. However, many important steps in this process were outlined at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Latvia, in July of this year, and are being taken. Cox also stated that efforts are now being "doubled" to bring Ukraine closer to NATO.
Meanwhile, most recently, two NATO member states, Hungary and Slovakia, have refused to supply weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appears to have been dealt a double blow, facing the challenge of opposition to military aid to Kyiv from both the European Union and NATO," commented Newsweek.
On October 26, Politico quoted an anonymous diplomat as saying that the Prime Ministers of Hungary and Slovakia had opposed a €50 billion ($52.8 billion) aid package for Ukraine at the European Union summit.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban argued that support for Ukraine was ineffective, while Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico raised concerns about corruption in Ukraine.
Despite being a small country, Slovakia has provided Ukraine with a significant amount of military aid, including ammunition, armored vehicles, artillery, and even fighter jets.
Hungarian Prime Minister Orban told Radio Kossuth that the EU's strategy toward Kyiv "has failed," as Ukraine will not win on the battlefield. And Russian President Vladimir Putin will "not leave."
Meanwhile, Slovakia's new Prime Minister, Robert Fico, campaigned on a promise to end military support for Ukraine and criticized sanctions against Russia.
Ukrainian President Zelensky acknowledges the conflict with Russia is in its 'final stage'.
October 12, 2023 07:14