MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th July, 2023) Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov proposed on Monday to change the Ukrainian constitution, in particular the provision banning the creation of foreign military bases, to speed up the country's accession to NATO.
"It is clear that, if necessary, a legal formula can be found so that the base is not called a base, but some kind of 'center of interaction and exchange of experience' or something. But why? We need to remove this restriction, which has lost its relevance, to destroy the ground for speculation," Reznikov wrote in his column for Ukrainian media outlet Liga.net, adding that this provision is outdated.
The defense minister also proposed to supplement Article 17 on the protection of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine with the thesis that Ukraine independently chooses mechanisms to ensure its security, including by joining international treaties or organizations.
"This will more clearly reveal and normalize the idea of the European and Euro-Atlantic course laid down in paragraph 5 of the preamble," Reznikov noted.
As a result of the NATO summit that took place in Vilnius from July 11-12, NATO leaders agreed on a package of three elements to bring Ukraine closer to the alliance. The first element includes creating an assistance program for Ukraine that will make transition to NATO standards training and doctrines possible. The second element is the establishment of the NATO-Ukraine Council, and the third one involves the cancellation of the membership action plan for Ukraine, which will allow to shorten Kiev's accession process from two steps to one step. At the same time, no official invitation was extended by the bloc to Kiev.
Moreover, G7 member states presented the Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine, which provides for the allocation of additional military equipment, expanded intelligence sharing and new training programs for the Ukrainian military, as well as the development of industrial capacities. Norway also joined the declaration.
Ukraine applied for accelerated NATO membership in September 2022 following the start of the Russian military operation. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has on numerous occasions said that the military alliance is supportive of Kiev's aspirations but is not ready to approve its application right away.
