The North Atlantic Alliance expects Ukraine to focus on internal reforms.

This is the best way for Kiev to get closer to NATO membership.

This was stated by the director of the NATO Information and Documentation Center Vineta Kleine.

She recalled that there is no shortcut to joining the alliance and drew attention to the experience of Latvia, which took ten years to achieve this goal.

“Of course there is no shortcut to NATO membership.

Regarding the reforms to which Ukraine is committed, it is very important that they are implemented, carried out and bring results, ”Kleine said.

At the same time, the decision on the possible inclusion of Ukraine in the military-political bloc, made by the members of the alliance at the 2008 summit, remains in force, Kleine added.

Her statement was made on November 18 during the round table "Ukraine-NATO relations in the context of sustainable peace in Donbass." 

The day before, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba also spoke on the topic of Ukraine's future integration into NATO.

According to the minister, Ukraine's receipt and implementation of the NATO Action Plan (MAP) is not a prerequisite for joining the alliance.

  • Dmitry Kuleba

  • globallookpress.com

  • © Fabrizio Bensch / dpa

The minister is sure that Ukraine should not make a cult out of the issue of granting the MAP to the country, since Kiev's goal is not this, but joining the alliance.

Kuleba said this when speaking on November 17 at the online conference The Road to Warsaw Security Forum.

“Ukraine's position is simple: if the MAP is something that will further simplify our path to membership, then Ukraine and Georgia will receive it.

But if the allies decide that we can achieve the same result for a certain period of time without the MAP, then we can discuss this, ”the head of the foreign ministry said.

At the same time, it is very important for Ukraine to outline its path to NATO membership, as well as the timing of this.

"It is very important.

Otherwise, we will wander in space, doing something that will not bring us closer to our goal, ”the minister added.

"Accumulate the experience of Ukraine"

Christina Queen, Charge d'Affaires of the United States, also spoke on the eve of Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic prospects.

Speaking at the online forum “Dialogues on Reforms: Towards Vilnius”, she noted that Ukraine faces two obstacles in the issue of integration into the EU and NATO.

The first is "Russian aggression on several fronts," including the "annexation" of Crimea, "aggression" in the Donbas, and "disinformation."

The second challenge is corruption and the fight against it, the Ukrainian media quoted her as saying.

Queen warned Kiev against a possible rejection of judicial reform and accused Russia's “allies” in Ukraine of trying to “undermine the pro-European narrative” through claims of external interference in Ukrainian affairs.

According to Queen, if President Zelenskiy can complete judicial reform, Ukraine will become at the level of European countries.

Director of the NATO Liaison Office in Ukraine Alexander Vinnikov said yesterday that cooperation between Kiev and the alliance has become closer in recent years.

He noted that the key instrument for bringing Ukraine closer to NATO today is the annual national plan.

According to Vinnikov, the allies came to the conclusion that Kiev had made significant progress.

He announced this at the online forum "Dialogues on Reforms: On the Way to Vilnius".

During the forum, politicians and experts discuss the results achieved by Ukraine over the year.

The Forum is an element of preparation for the large annual Ukraine Reform Conference.

Earlier, the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olga Stefanishina announced the creation of a center for countering hybrid threats in Ukraine.

She stated this following a meeting of an advisory group on defense reforms in Ukraine.

During the talks, the Ukraine-NATO annual national program was also discussed.

“Had an excellent meeting with members of the Defense Reform Advisory Board on Advanced Partnerships, Defense Reform, the NATO-Ukraine Annual National Program (under the auspices of the Commission), and the NATO Analytical Process.

Our international consultants welcome the initiative to create a Center that will accumulate the experience of Ukraine in the fight against modern threats, ”she wrote on Twitter.

Stefanishina said that the Center will become a platform for international cooperation and exchange.

“The work of the Center will be based on active cooperation between the government and NATO in the area of ​​strengthening national resilience,” she added.

Recall that the international group Defense Reform Advisory Board was created in 2016.

The group advises Kiev on reforming the defense sector and submits its reports directly to the Minister of Defense of Ukraine.

Will of Washington

Cooperation between NATO and Ukraine began in 1991, when the country, which had barely received an independent status, joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council.

In 1994, Kiev joined the Partnership for Peace program.

In 1997, Kiev and the North Atlantic Alliance signed a Charter on a Special Partnership, at the same time the NATO-Ukraine Commission (NUC) was established.

In 2009, the Charter was expanded and the KGU began to support Ukraine's NATO aspirations through annual national programs.

The strategic decision on the possibility of Ukraine's admission to the alliance was made in 2008, during the NATO summit in Bucharest.

Ukraine's aspirations received a new impetus in 2014 amid confrontation with Russia over Crimea.

In these conditions, the alliance has increased its presence in the Black Sea, and also expanded joint exercises with Ukraine.

  • Meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission during the NATO summit in 2008

  • Reuters

  • © Kevin Lamarque

In 2017, the Ukrainian authorities adopted a law on the country's aspiration for NATO membership.

The document confirmed the priority of Ukraine's integration into the European space, membership in the EU, as well as joining the North Atlantic Alliance.

In 2019, these goals were also enshrined in the main law of Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who took the post of President of Ukraine in 2019, began implementing the reforms necessary for the country's integration into the EU and NATO.

However, the Ukrainian authorities are in no hurry to revise the language norms that angered the Hungarian authorities.

Earlier, Budapest blocked the work of the NATO Commission

- Ukraine, the Hungarian side demands that Kiev abolish the norms that discriminate against ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia.

Hungary promises to unblock the work of the commission only after the Hungarians have the opportunity to study in their native language.  

However, the main obstacle on Ukraine's path to NATO remains the presence of a territorial dispute with Russia, said Sergei Ermakov, head of the regional security sector at the RISS Center for Defense Studies.

“NATO is not interested in accepting Ukraine bypassing the standard procedure and implementing the membership action plan.

The question rests on the fifth article of the NATO charter, which obliges the bloc to support a participating country in military conflicts.

And Ukraine declares the existence of such a conflict between it and Russia.

There is no practical way out of the situation for the alliance, and even more so in NATO, in such a situation, they will not release Ukraine from the implementation of standard procedures within the framework of the MAP, "the expert noted in the RT commentary.

Andrei Suzdaltsev, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs at the Higher School of Economics, shares a slightly different point of view.

“Ukraine can join NATO, bypassing the MAP and its implementation.

It depends on the will of Washington and other members of the alliance, "the expert explained in an interview with RT.

Biden factor

In the near future, another factor may influence relations between Ukraine and NATO, experts say.

If the White House is officially headed by Joe Biden, the US course towards Ukraine could be adjusted.

We will remind, during the administration of Barack Obama, Joe Biden served as the special representative of the United States for Ukraine and often visited Kiev.

His son, Hunter Biden, joined the board of directors of the Ukrainian energy company Burisma at this time.

In 2019, The Hill reported that Biden Jr. was suspected of accepting bribes from Burisma's management.

Allegedly, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office was already going to initiate an investigation, but Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin was fired at the request of Joe Biden. 

  • Vladimir Zelensky

  • Reuters

  • © Valentyn Ogirenko / Pool

During the 2020 election campaign, Biden's political opponents actively replicated this story.

“Undoubtedly, now we should expect changes in relations between Ukraine and the United States, as well as NATO.

How profound these changes will be is a big question.

At the same time, the old corruption scandal is unlikely to somehow affect the situation, the Ukrainian elites will not dare to blackmail the US President, ”Sergei Balmasov believes.

According to the expert, now on the agenda of the North Atlantic Alliance there is no question of Ukraine's early admission to its membership.

“Instead, NATO will strengthen cooperation with Ukraine to play a useful role in countering Russia’s strategy.

In exchange, Kiev receives rather limited assistance.

But Georgia is now a priority for NATO.

There is no need to say that Ukraine will be able to become a member of the alliance in the foreseeable future, ”Balmasov said.

Andrey Suzdaltsev adheres to a similar opinion.

“The USA and NATO are quite satisfied with the current situation when Ukraine serves as an irritant for Russia.

It is possible that Biden will try to intensify this policy, but nothing more.

So far, NATO will not accept Ukraine into its membership, as this will aggravate relations with Russia.

Also, the alliance does not want to get involved in a confrontation with Russia on Ukrainian terms and in Ukrainian interests, ”the expert summed up.