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North Atlantic Alliance working to establish NATO-Ukraine Council — secretary general

According to Jens Stoltenberg, "Ukraine has already moved closer to NATO over the past decade"

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg AP Photo/ Virginia Mayo

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg

© AP Photo/ Virginia Mayo

BRUSSELS, June 16. /TASS/. The North Atlantic Alliance is working to establish a NATO-Ukraine Council, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday.

"We are also working to establish a new NATO-Ukraine Council, where Ukraine will be equal to NATO Allies and consult and decide on security issues of mutual concern," he pointed out at a press conference on Friday following a NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels.

"Our ambition is to have the first meeting of the new Council in Vilnius, with [Ukrainian] President Zelensky," Stoltenberg added.

According to him, "Ukraine has already moved closer to NATO over the past decade." "We agree that NATO's door is open, that Ukraine will become a member of the Alliance, and that it is a decision for Allies and Ukraine to make. Russia does not have a veto," the NATO chief added.

"We do not know when this war ends but when it does, we need to put in place a framework that ensures Ukraine's future security and make sure that history does not repeat itself," Stoltenberg said.

Tags

Ukraine crisis NATO

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