ISTANBUL, July 21. /TASS/. Although NATO is undecided about Ukraine’s membership, Kiev is convinced that it will be admitted to the alliance after the conflict is settled, Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasily Bondar said.
"The agreement reached by NATO countries at the latest summit in Washington to allocate more than $40 billion to Ukraine is a good and bold step to support it. But NATO has not yet answered the main question - that about Ukraine’s membership. We believe that we will be a NATO member to preserve peace in Europe, after the war is over," he said in an interview with the Haberturk television channel.
The NATO summit that was held in Washington on July 9-11 focused on the confrontation with Russia and military assistance to Ukraine. The NATO leaders agreed to allocate 40 billion euro in military assistance to Ukraine in 2025.
According to Bondar, a ceasefire is not enough as a basis for settling the Ukrainian conflict. "A ceasefire is not enough. The key condition is Ukraine’s territorial integrity," he stressed.
He lauded Turkey’s help to his country. "We are sincerely thankful to Turkey for all of its steps in the political, humanitarian and military aspects," he said. "In recent time, Turkey has earned a vast experience both in the organization of mediatory efforts [to settle the conflict in Ukraine] and in the establishment of the grain corridor. <…> This issue is important not only for Ukraine in terms of Ukraine’s export of its agricultural products and Turkey’s organization of their transit, and for buyers in countries of the [global] South and on global markets because it impacts grain prices," the Ukrainian diplomat said.
He also noted that Ukraine is cooperating with the World Food Program, of which Turkey is a member, on issues of supplies of agricultural products to countries that need them, in particular, to Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Somalia. "This process is well organized," he noted, adding that in August Turkey will host a conference on safe navigation in the Black Sea and food security.