Next week, NATO will present Ukraine with "concrete ways" to expedite its future membership in the alliance during a summit in Washington, a senior US State Department official announced.
The summit's final declaration is anticipated to affirm Ukraine's prospective NATO membership, though specific wording is still being finalised.
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In an interview with Voice of America, Douglas Jones, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, outlined that the alliance would address strategies to help Ukraine defend against Russian aggression, contain Russia in the future, and prepare for NATO membership.
Foreign ministers from 35 non-NATO partner countries, including Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, are also invited to the summit.
Additionally, it will mark the third consecutive summit attended by the heads of state from all 32 NATO member countries and leaders from Indo-Pacific partner countries: Australia, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand.
Jones emphasized that it will be crucial to strengthen the resilience of these allies against challenges and threats from China.
However, he pointed out that the proposal to establish a NATO Liaison Office in Tokyo, with the aim of enhancing cooperation with Australia, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand, is not currently being actively discussed.
The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, has previously reported that NATO countries are gearing up with long-term support measures for Ukraine, anticipating a possible victory by Donald Trump in the upcoming US presidential election.
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This preparation is set against a backdrop of rising right-wing influence in Europe.
NATO plans to send a senior civilian official to Ukraine to coordinate military logistics.
Additionally, a new command center will reportedly be established in Wiesbaden, Germany, to oversee the delivery of military equipment and weapons, as well as the training of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU).
According to the WSJ sources, approximately 700 US and other NATO countries military personnel will participate in the operation, dubbed “NATO – Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine.”
These measures have been in development for several months but gained urgency after President Joe Biden‘s underwhelming performance in a televised debate with Trump.
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