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NATO foreign ministers meeting: Baerbock: No Ukrainian NATO entry “in the middle of the war”

NATO foreign ministers meeting: Baerbock: No Ukrainian NATO entry “in the middle of the war”

Clear words from Foreign Minister Baerbock: In the middle of a war one cannot talk about a new membership. However, she referred to “the open door policy”.

In the discussion about Ukraine’s desire to join NATO quickly, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock pointed out clear limits. “The open-door policy applies,” said the Green Party politician at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Oslo. At the same time, it is clear “that we cannot talk about a new membership in the middle of a war.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had called on the alliance states to clear the way for inclusion in the western military alliance at the next summit in July. Finland has been in NATO since April. Sweden is also trying to get admission.

Selenskyj justifies the wish with the fact that hardly anyone contributes more to Euro-Atlantic security than the Ukrainian soldiers. Neither in Ukraine nor in Europe nor in NATO would the majority of the population understand if Kiev did not receive a “well-deserved invitation” to the summit meeting in Lithuania, he said in April.

According to information from the German Press Agency, alliance members such as the USA and Germany made it clear behind closed doors that they do not want to make any commitments for the time being that go substantially beyond a vague NATO declaration from 2008. In it, the then heads of state and government agreed that Ukraine and Georgia should join NATO, but without naming a specific timetable.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said last week that talks on Ukraine’s ambitions are still ongoing. No one knows how the final decision at the NATO summit on July 11 and 12 in Lithuania will turn out. On Thursday, Stoltenberg emphasized that it was up to the Allies and Ukraine to decide when the right time was. However, he himself had repeatedly indirectly ruled out admission in times of war, thereby conceding that Russia could at least delay accession with its war.

After the re-election of Turkish President Erdogan, Baerbock called for the country to quickly agree to Sweden’s admission to NATO. In these times, the most important thing is “reliability that the word given is valid,” said the Green politician on Thursday at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Oslo. All NATO member states gave Finland and Sweden the word to become members of the defense alliance.

“This word is valid, and we must be able to rely on each other as partners in a defensive alliance,” said Baerbock. It is essential to be able to “finally welcome Sweden too” at the next NATO summit in Lithuania in July. Finland has been in NATO since April. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg made a similar statement. He announced that he would soon be traveling to Turkey. All others must agree to the admission of a new member. Sweden is also still waiting for the yes from Hungary.

Source: Stern

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