"Ukraine's future is in NATO": full text of the Communiqué of the Vilnius Summit of the North Atlantic Alliance

On the evening of 11 July, following the first day of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, a full statement by NATO member states on Ukraine was issued. They fully supported the right of our country to choose its own security measures, as well as its future in NATO, and will extend an invitation to join when the members of the organisation agree and the conditions are met.

This is stated in a joint communiqué published on NATO's website. Allies reaffirmed the commitment made at the 2008 Bucharest Summit that Ukraine would become a NATO member and recognised that Ukraine's progress has now gone beyond the requirements of the Membership Action Plan.

"Ukraine is becoming increasingly operationally and politically integrated with the Alliance and has made significant progress on the path of reform. In accordance with the 1997 Charter on a Distinctive Partnership between NATO and Ukraine and the 2009 Addendum, Allies will continue to support and review Ukraine's progress in interoperability, as well as the additional democratic and security sector reforms needed," the statement reads.

"NATO Foreign Ministers will regularly assess progress through an adapted Annual National Programme. The Alliance will support Ukraine in implementing these reforms on its path to future membership. We will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance when Allies agree and the conditions are met," NATO Allies assured.

The document also noted that Ukraine's security is of great importance to the Allies and the Alliance.

"To support Ukraine's further integration into NATO, today we agreed on a substantial package of enhanced political and practical support. We have decided to establish the NATO-Ukraine Council, a new joint body in which Allies and Ukraine sit as equal members to advance political dialogue, engagement, cooperation and Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations for NATO membership. It will include joint consultations, decision-making and activities, and will serve as a mechanism for crisis consultations between NATO and Ukraine," Allies said.

"Russia bears full responsibility for its illegal, unjustified and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, which has seriously undermined Euro-Atlantic and global security and for which it must be held fully accountable. We continue to condemn in the strongest terms Russia's blatant violations of international law, the United Nations Charter and OSCE commitments and principles. We do not and will never recognise Russia's illegal and illegitimate annexations, including of Crimea," the document also says, stressing that all those responsible for Russia's war crimes on the territory of Ukraine must be brought to justice.

"Russia must immediately cease this illegal war of aggression, stop using force against Ukraine and fully and unconditionally withdraw all its forces and equipment from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders extending to its territorial waters," the communiqué reads.

As reported by OBOZREVATEL:

- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told what Ukraine has to do to become a member of the Alliance. According to him, there are two main criteria that are not related to each other. The first one concerns reforms and interoperability of armies, and the second one is the war waged by Russia;

- The White House has stated that Ukraine's membership in NATO is unlikely in the near future because it would lead to a war between the Alliance and Russia. In addition, our country still needs to fulfil some requirements, which is complicated by military operations on its territory;

- President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who arrived in Lithuania to attend the NATO summit, spoke at the central square in Vilnius. In his speech, he stressed that it is crucial that no one ever looks back to Moscow again.

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