Bundestag official calls for path to NATO to be opened up for Ukraine
Michael Roth, chairman of the Bundestag's foreign affairs committee, has voiced support for Ukraine's NATO membership ahead of a possible visit to Germany by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Source: European Pravda, citing German news agency DW
Quote: "The next NATO summit in Vilnius in July should send a clear signal about what Ukraine's path to credible security guarantees for NATO membership might look like," said Roth, a member of Germany's ruling Social Democratic Party.
"Our goal must be to ensure that Russia never again threatens or challenges Ukraine's security, independence and territorial integrity," Roth added.
Details: Roth stated that a "realistic and honest roadmap" is also needed for Kyiv's EU membership, "linked to concrete reform steps as well as incentives such as early access to the EU's internal market".
Negotiations on this should "begin no later than the beginning of 2024", Roth said.
Jürgen Gardt, a foreign policy expert from the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU), takes a similar position. In his opinion, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz should clearly advocate "Ukraine's full membership of the North Atlantic Alliance in the future".
Background:
- The Polish Senate has supported Ukraine's fast-track accession to NATO, following the example of Sweden and Finland, and believes the July summit in Vilnius is the key to this.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stresses that Ukraine will not accept alternative proposals that could replace NATO membership.
- Ukraine will not be satisfied with any decision by the NATO summit other than actual steps towards its membership of the Alliance, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said.
Read also: Ukraine's NATO Membership Needs no Action Plan, We Have to Leave 2008 Mistakes Behind
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