Ukraine-NATO: Common Interests and Challenges on Path to Membership

A recent roundtable discussion titled "Ukraine – NATO 2024: From Strengthening Partnership to Exploring Security Paths" took place in Kyiv. It was organized by the Ukraine-NATO Public League jointly with the Public Council within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the support of the NATO Representation in Ukraine.

Held at the Ukrinform news agency, the event brought together prominent figures from military sectors, diplomacy and security. The key speaker was NATO's Senior Representative in Ukraine Patrick Turner.

Participants highlighted the critical role of civil society in strengthening Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic resilience. Serhiy Dzherdzh, Chairman of the Public Council under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, noted that since cooperation with NATO contributes to the development of democratic processes in Ukraine, the annual summing up of the results of this cooperation is extremely important.

NATO's support for Ukraine

This public discussion further affirmed NATO's strong commitment to supporting Ukraine. Turner, referenced Ukraine's current slogan "Freedom or Death" and expressed Alliance's dedication to assisting Ukraine both now and in the future, while also thanking Ukraine for becoming a "shield of global security."

NATO’s representative assured that the Alliance is focused on enhancing Ukraine's defense capabilities, including through over $40 billion in assistance in 2024.

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In response to questions about the prospects for continued cooperation amid existing challenges, particularly the ongoing war, Turner emphasized that "NATO as an organization is not afraid of Russia." According to him, it is obvious that Russia represents a significant threat, and Ukraine's experience proves this. After all, there is a war that could potentially spread to other territories.

The NATO official stressed that NATO will help Ukraine end the war and described Ukraine as "an inseparable part of the European family." Ukraine is an important partner for Europe due to its vast territory, shared values, progressive worldview, strategic aspirations, innovations, significant human resources and strong-armed forces.

When addressing concerns about the preparedness of young men for modern high-tech warfare, Turner explained that under the agreement between Ukraine and NATO, the Alliance provides weapons and technology, while Ukraine, unfortunately, provides human resources. He assured that NATO is responsible for the high-quality training of Ukrainian defenders and adheres to gender equality standards for women in service. Commenting on mobilization issues, Turner emphasized the importance of involving young people in the process of strengthening the country's defense capabilities. In his opinion, young people are a source of innovation and strategic vision for the future.

In addition, the NATO's Senior Representative in Ukraine drew attention to the concerning sociological survey showing a third of Ukrainians consider the development of nuclear weapons as security guarantee. He reiterated that the Alliance advocates for peaceful solution to security issues and called for avoiding a return to nuclear weapons.

Asked about Ukraine's challenges towards NATO membership, Turner replied that the primary focus is on efforts towards reform and called the war the biggest obstacle. He pointed out that NATO has never accepted a country while it was at war. Therefore, the NATO's main focus is to help end the conflict by providing material support and military training, concentrating on specific priorities rather than just ideas.

The event served as a timely platform for discussing ways to strengthen Ukraine-NATO partnership, exploring new opportunities to support Ukraine in the military-political aspect, as well as reinforcing regional Euro-Atlantic security.

Adapted from a press release by Roksolana Stefanyshyn, a representative of the PanteonX International Charitable Foundation. See the original here.