NATO Chief Says Stance On Ukraine's Accession Unchanged

NATO Chief Says Stance on Ukraine's Accession Unchanged

NATO has not revised its policy on Ukraine's potential membership in the alliance, which depends on Kiev and the allies, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th December, 2021) NATO has not revised its policy on Ukraine's potential membership in the alliance, which depends on Kiev and the allies, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday.

"Every nation in Europe has the right to choose its own path, and that includes Ukraine. We stand by our decisions and nothing has changed in NATO's approach towards Ukraine's membership and it is (up) to Ukraine to decide its own path, to decide whether or not to aspire to membership," he told a press conference after talks with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Minister of Armed Forces Florence Parly in Paris.

The issue of Ukraine's accession to NATO also depends on the will of all allies, and no one else has anything to do with the matter, he added.

The top French diplomat stressed that the parties are constantly exchanging views on the Ukraine issue.

"Today we discussed two key issues with the Secretary General. Firstly, the issue of European security... and secondly, we exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine, about which we have already talked a lot in Riga," Le Drian said.

He added that he will discuss Ukraine, among other topics, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers' meeting in Liverpool later on Friday.

Tensions have been on the rise as the West and Kiev maintain that Russia is mobilizing troops at the border with Ukraine to launch an offensive. US President Joe Biden warned against a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine in a virtual conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding that Washington would impose economic sanctions if Moscow allows the situation to escalate.

Putin, in turn, reiterated that the responsibility should not fall entirely on Russia, since it is NATO that is increasing its military presence near Russian borders.�