NATO summit to 'reaffirm' Ukraine will become future alliance member: Stoltenberg

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) - NATO leaders are expected to reaffirm that Ukraine will become a future alliance member, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday.

Speaking at a news conference ahead of the NATO leaders’ summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on July 11-12, Stoltenberg said the 31-member group is ready to “send a clear message, NATO stands united and Russia's aggression will not pay off.”

He explained that NATO heads of state and governments will adopt a series of measures to make “Ukraine even stronger.”

Stoltenberg said he expects leaders to “reaffirm that Ukraine will become a member of NATO and unite on how to bring Ukraine closer to its goal.”

The leaders are also set to approve a multi-year assistance program “to ensure full interoperability” between the Ukrainian army and NATO, and to set up the NATO-Ukraine Council, a crisis consultation platform.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend the inauguration ceremony of the new body.

- NATO reform

NATO heads of state and government are also expected to approve a new, more ambitious defense investment pledge that takes the current target of 2% of the gross domestic product as a minimum.

Stoltenberg expressed hope that NATO members will strengthen their military investments as NATO estimates over 8.3% growth in defense spending in 2023, which “is the biggest increase in the ninth consecutive year increases.”

He explained that 11 NATO countries will exceed the 2% defense spending target this year.

At the summit, the leaders will approve three new defense plans for the North Atlantic and European Arctic, for the Baltic region and Central Europe, and for the Mediterranean and Black Sea region.

Leaders of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea, as well as top EU officials, will attend the meeting.

- Cluster munition for Ukraine

Asked about the recent US announcement on supplying Ukraine with cluster ammunition, Stoltenberg said: “It is up to the allies to decide on what kind of ammunition they deliver.”

He asserted that NATO does not have a position on this type of weapon as some of its members are part of the international treaty banning the use of cluster munition and others are not.

He claimed that while Russia is using these weapons to “invade Ukraine,” the latter deploys them to “protect itself from the aggressor.”