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UNITED STATES (APRO) – Ukraine is on an “irreversible” path to joining NATO, Ukrainian Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared on Wednesday, saying the country could join the Western military alliance but only after its war with Russia is over.
A joint communique for the current NATO summit in Washington will endorse an “irreversible” commitment to Ukraine, said a European official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly pleaded with NATO for guarantees that Ukraine can remain part of the 32-nation alliance.
The United States and other countries have opposed granting Ukraine membership while its conflict with Russia continues, threatening to provoke a wider war, and have stressed the need for Ukraine to take stronger steps to combat corruption and implement other reforms.
Russian President Vladimir Putin opposes Ukraine’s membership in NATO, saying it threatens Russia’s national security.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed that Ukraine would not immediately join the alliance.
“To invite new allies we need a consensus. All the allies agree that Ukraine will become a member, but it is too early to say when that will happen,” he told reporters.
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