"The goal remains the same": US Ambassador clarifies Biden's statement on "peace in Ukraine without NATO membership"

U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO Julian Smith said that Washington's position on Ukraine's membership in the bloc has remained unchanged. This means that the United States is confident that Kyiv should become a member of the Alliance, but that some work needs to be done.

This is how Smith commented on President Joe Biden's statement that peace in Ukraine should be such that Russia can never attack again, and this does not mean NATO membership. Her words were quoted on the website of the US State Department on Wednesday, June 12.

Smith reminded that NATO leaders at the 2023 summit confirmed that Ukraine would become a member of the Alliance. However, the country needs to implement a number of reforms and meet certain criteria.

"I think what the president was referring to in that particular interview was the fact that we, the United States, believe that the Ukrainians still have some work to do to meet the criteria and implement the reforms that are necessary for NATO membership," she added.

The diplomat emphasized that Washington welcomes the progress that Ukraine has already made on its path to membership in the North Atlantic Alliance.

"The goal remains the same. The commitments remain unchanged. And that's why you'll hear us talking a lot at the summit about building a bridge to membership for our friends in Ukraine," Smith summarized.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine's victory in the war with Russia is a minimum condition for the country's membership in the Alliance. To help Kyiv regain all the territories seized by Russian troops, the countries of the bloc will agree on an increase in immediate military assistance at the summit in Washington.

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