Sybiha on Zelenskyy’s participation in NATO summit: Strong defense commitments needed
Ukraine expects strong decisions from its allies that will bolster its defense capabilities. Only then will President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to the NATO summit in The Hague become possible.
This was stated by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha during a briefing with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys, reports Censor.NET, citing RBC-Ukraine.
The ministers were asked whether NATO countries would refer to Russia as a common enemy in the final communiqué of the Alliance summit, which will take place in The Hague on June 24–26.
"Of course, these issues will be included in the joint declaration, as was already the case in Washington, at the Madrid summit, in Brussels, and in Vilnius in 2022, because we are talking about the most critical security issues, and Russia represents a military threat," said the Lithuanian Foreign Minister.
He also noted that the allies emphasize Ukraine's path to NATO as irreversible, and nothing has changed in that regard. He added that talks on the summit communiqué have only just begun.
In turn, Sybiha reminded that no third country, including Russia, has a veto right over Ukraine's NATO membership.
"For President Zelenskyy to be able to attend this event (referring to the NATO summit – ed.), there must be strong and concrete decisions that strengthen our defense capabilities right now. Based on this logic, we shape our expectations and convey them directly to our partners," Sibiha emphasized.
He added that Ukraine’s security and Euro-Atlantic security are inseparable, and that Ukraine can significantly enhance the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic area.
