ADDS MORE QUOTES
By Rabia Iclal Turan
WASHINGTON (AA) - The US on Friday said it does not expect an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO as Washington prepares to host the NATO summit in July to mark the 75th anniversary of the transatlantic alliance.
“We do not anticipate that there'll be an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO, but we think there will be substantial show of support for Ukraine,” Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian affairs James O'Brien told reporters during a briefing.
O'Brien said Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Moldova and Czechia next week, which includes an informal NATO Foreign Ministers meeting in Prague.
“This will include ongoing NATO support in building Ukraine's future force and efforts to help Ukraine as it makes the reforms needed so that it's able to join the EU and run across the bridge to NATO as quickly as, as it's able,” he added.
Asked about the prospects of peace in Ukraine, he said that the US does not see Russian President Vladimir Putin “as being interested in peace.”
“He (Putin) has chosen a path of war. And it's important that Ukraine have the opportunity to stabilize on the battlefield,” O’Brien told reporters.
“We are always interested in saying that when Ukraine is prepared to make peace, it's able to do so on terms that are a success for Ukraine. And so we've never turned down the opportunity,” he added.
“But for right now, we're very focused on ensuring that Ukraine is able to succeed both on the battlefield and ultimately,when it decides, that it's able to do that with its neighbor to the east,” he said.
During his visits, Blinken will meet senior officials to discuss a range of issues including Moldova's EU accession, Ukraine and upcoming NATO summit in the US.
Blinken will arrive in Chisinau, Moldova on Wednesday, where he will meet President Maia Sandu and Prime Minister Dorin Recean to highlight Moldova's progress on EU accession and the “threat posed by the Russian interference in its internal processes,” said O'Brien.
Blinken will later head to Prague, Czechia, where he will meet with senior officials on to discuss a number of issues, including support for Ukraine, he added.
The top US diplomat will also participate in an informal NATO Foreign Ministers meeting in Prague on Thursday to discuss preparations for the NATO summit in July.
Regarding the NATO meeting in Prague, O'Brien said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg asked the ministers to discuss a range of decisions pertaining to Ukraine ahead of the summit in Washington.