NATO Secretary General: "No Agreement Yet Among Member States on Ukraine's NATO Membership"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), stated that there is still no consensus among member countries regarding Ukraine's NATO membership. Despite Ukraine urging membership due to concerns over Russian aggression, many NATO member countries remain wary of direct confrontation with Russia, resulting in a lack of agreement.

On the 14th (local time), Secretary General Stoltenberg said in an interview with the US HBO network, "We know that Ukraine wants to become a NATO member and that it seeks substantial protection from Russia," adding, "We are cooperating much more closely with Ukraine, but all 30 member countries must agree for Ukraine to join NATO, and so far, there is no consensus among members to admit Ukraine as a member."

He continued, "In last week's meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, we reaffirmed NATO's support for Ukraine's territory and sovereignty," but drew a line by saying, "However, Ukraine is not a NATO member, so it is not covered by the collective defense clause of Article 5 of the NATO treaty." Stoltenberg emphasized, "To become a NATO member, Ukraine must meet NATO standards, and above all, it must accelerate the development of democracy and the eradication of corruption."

Stoltenberg's remarks are interpreted as indicating that European countries, concerned about the spillover of conflict between the US and Russia, do not want direct confrontation with Russia. The Ukrainian government is reportedly opposing this, arguing that Turkey, a NATO member, cannot be considered a country that meets the standards of democracy and anti-corruption.

Meanwhile, these remarks have attracted attention amid rising tensions between the US and Russia over the conflict in the border area with Ukraine. Earlier, on the 10th, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, after meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, said at a joint press conference, "We are concerned about Russia's unusual military actions," and warned Russia to stop provocations, affirming "the US commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and independence is firm."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.