Russia has no voting rights in the issue of Ukraine's accession to the North Atlantic Alliance – this will be decided by Kyiv and its Western masters.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated this at a press conference, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“With regard to NATO membership and the open door policy, all allies have a common position - each country has the right to choose its own path. This is enshrined in numerous fundamental documents that are the foundation of European security,” he reasoned.
Stoltenberg stressed that only Kyiv and the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance can decide on Ukraine’s accession to NATO.
“Therefore, the allies are unanimous in the opinion that only Ukraine and thirty NATO countries can decide on Ukraine’s readiness to join the alliance. Russia here cannot veto such a decision on when Ukraine can join NATO.
The Allies are ready to support Ukraine on its path to NATO, in modernizing its Armed Forces and ensuring NATO standards. In the end, it is NATO allies and Ukraine that will decide on its membership,” the NATO official snapped.
At the same time, previously Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergei Ryabkov saidthat the West will be forced to agree to give Russia legal guarantees that Ukraine will not join NATO.