Ukraine is now on "irreversible path" to joining Alliance, but first of all, country’s sovereignty must be restored, - NATO PA President Connolly
The President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Gerry Connolly, commented on the possibility of inviting Ukraine to join NATO.
According to Censor.NET, Connolly said this in an interview with Radio Liberty.
"Well, there is a war going on now. I think we have to resolve it, we have to restore Ukraine's sovereignty over its territories, and then make sure that the path to NATO is open. I think that NATO has been very clear, and my government, the United States, has been very clear, that we welcome the idea of Ukraine joining NATO. What we call the 'inevitable path' to that membership," he emphasized.
In addition, Connolly answered a question about Ukraine's possible accession to NATO with only those territories under government control. He noted that the best-case scenario envisages the accession of all of Ukraine after the war is over and its territorial integrity is fully restored.
"I would say that this is the best way forward. Maybe it is not the only way. We don't know what the outcome of this struggle will be, but we know what we hope for. And that's why NATO and the U.S. government have committed significant resources and partnered with our brothers and sisters in Ukraine to ensure that they stand up and regain full sovereignty over their entire territory," he added.
Regarding the possibility of inviting Ukraine to NATO before the end of Joe Biden's presidential term, Connolly noted that this process requires consultations with other members of the Alliance.
"President Biden was - and is - sympathetic to Ukraine's aspirations, including NATO membership. And he would have a positive attitude toward this. But whether he would take concrete action without consulting other NATO allies would be impossible. And again, he is focused on priorities," he concluded.
