Ukraine must achieve victory against the Russian Federation before becoming a NATO member, said John Kirby, the US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications.
“The alliance has talked about it and the United States has certainly talked about, first they gotta win this war,” Kirby said and added that the US is doing everything it can to make sure that Ukrainians can do it.
He further emphasized that even after the war ends, Ukrainians will continue to share a lengthy border with Russia, which will impose a legitimate security challenge for the Ukrainian people.
“That’s why the president at the — at the G7 signed our bilateral security agreement joining, what, some other — 14, 15 other countries have done the same thing, to make sure that, for the long haul, Ukraine’s defense industrial base can continue to make sure that they have what they need to defend themselves, and that includes assistance from the United States. That’s the long haul,” he said.
Kirby stated that the bilateral security agreement “will help them defend themselves while they work on the necessary things they have to do like any member of the alliance has to work on, like for instance on corruption.”
“But we do believe that NATO is in Ukraine’s future, and we’re going to work with them every step of the way to get them there,” Kirby added.
-21d0b63c17f6020e4df75f6c6f9a2f4f.jpg "Ivan Khomenko")
