12 Feb, 17:27

NATO chief for first time did not say that Ukraine will become member of alliance

Thus, for the first time, the NATO chief did not promise Kiev's accession to the alliance

BRUSSELS, February 12. /TASS/. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, answering journalists' questions about the negotiations on the Ukrainian conflict, for the first time did not say that Ukraine will become a member of the alliance.

In particular, one of the reporters asked Rutte what NATO's position is on the US proposal to postpone Ukraine's accession to the alliance for decades in the context of peace talks with Russia.

"I know two things. One, we have to make sure that Ukraine is in the best possible position when talks on the future of this conflict start. And when we have brought it to a conclusion, that is <…> the outcome of that discussion, the peace deal, or whatever it will be, has to be durable, enduring, has to be concrete, carved in stone. That <…> [Russia] will never, ever again, try to attack one square kilometer or one square mile of Ukraine. These two things are crucial for me, and then we can easily brainstorm about the best way forward, including NATO," he said when asked about NATO's position on Ukraine's membership.

Thus, for the first time, the NATO chief did not promise Kiev's accession to the alliance.

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