01:50Mandatory credit: NATO TV
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine would join 'when the time is right' but admitted there wasn't yet a 'consensus' among allies, during a panel discussion on the sidelines of the 75th Summit in Washington DC on Wednesday.
"The elements in the [military aid] package I mentioned, are actually changing the reality, enabling Ukraine to come closer to membership so when the time is right, when we have consensus and the political conditions are in place, and when an invitation is issued, they can become members straight away. I can't give you a date because as you know, there has to be consensus in this alliance on membership," he stated.
Stoltenberg said he expected allies to agree a 'substantial package' of military support for Ukraine, but also added that the country needed 'security guarantees' for when the fighting was over.
"Of course, the best and strongest security guarantee will be Article 5. So, therefore, I believe that a way to ensure that it stops is actually NATO membership," he added. Under Article 5, an 'attack on one is an attack on all'.
The NATO Summit continues until Thursday. According to reports ahead of the meeting, Ukraine was expected to be told that it remained 'too corrupt' to join the alliance, with Stoltenberg referring to 'vital reforms' still required, during an earlier summit briefing.
Ukraine has repeatedly called for additional military aid, while Russia has accused the alliance of escalating the hostilities, bringing it into 'direct conflict' with Moscow. The Russian leadership also claimed NATO expansionism eastwards had fuelled the ongoing conflict, which Kiev and the alliance have denied.
'When the time is right'- Stoltenberg says Ukraine 'closer' to NATO membership but 'there has to be consensus'
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine would join 'when the time is right' but admitted there wasn't yet a 'consensus' among allies, during a panel discussion on the sidelines of the 75th Summit in Washington DC on Wednesday.
"The elements in the [military aid] package I mentioned, are actually changing the reality, enabling Ukraine to come closer to membership so when the time is right, when we have consensus and the political conditions are in place, and when an invitation is issued, they can become members straight away. I can't give you a date because as you know, there has to be consensus in this alliance on membership," he stated.
Stoltenberg said he expected allies to agree a 'substantial package' of military support for Ukraine, but also added that the country needed 'security guarantees' for when the fighting was over.
"Of course, the best and strongest security guarantee will be Article 5. So, therefore, I believe that a way to ensure that it stops is actually NATO membership," he added. Under Article 5, an 'attack on one is an attack on all'.
The NATO Summit continues until Thursday. According to reports ahead of the meeting, Ukraine was expected to be told that it remained 'too corrupt' to join the alliance, with Stoltenberg referring to 'vital reforms' still required, during an earlier summit briefing.
Ukraine has repeatedly called for additional military aid, while Russia has accused the alliance of escalating the hostilities, bringing it into 'direct conflict' with Moscow. The Russian leadership also claimed NATO expansionism eastwards had fuelled the ongoing conflict, which Kiev and the alliance have denied.
Mandatory credit: NATO TV
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine would join 'when the time is right' but admitted there wasn't yet a 'consensus' among allies, during a panel discussion on the sidelines of the 75th Summit in Washington DC on Wednesday.
"The elements in the [military aid] package I mentioned, are actually changing the reality, enabling Ukraine to come closer to membership so when the time is right, when we have consensus and the political conditions are in place, and when an invitation is issued, they can become members straight away. I can't give you a date because as you know, there has to be consensus in this alliance on membership," he stated.
Stoltenberg said he expected allies to agree a 'substantial package' of military support for Ukraine, but also added that the country needed 'security guarantees' for when the fighting was over.
"Of course, the best and strongest security guarantee will be Article 5. So, therefore, I believe that a way to ensure that it stops is actually NATO membership," he added. Under Article 5, an 'attack on one is an attack on all'.
The NATO Summit continues until Thursday. According to reports ahead of the meeting, Ukraine was expected to be told that it remained 'too corrupt' to join the alliance, with Stoltenberg referring to 'vital reforms' still required, during an earlier summit briefing.
Ukraine has repeatedly called for additional military aid, while Russia has accused the alliance of escalating the hostilities, bringing it into 'direct conflict' with Moscow. The Russian leadership also claimed NATO expansionism eastwards had fuelled the ongoing conflict, which Kiev and the alliance have denied.