Ukraine’s future is in NATO: Alliance chief

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) - NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg expressed on Tuesday support for Ukraine’s NATO membership.

“Ukraine’s future is the Euro-Atlantic family,” Stoltenberg told reporters at a news conference after the reunion of the NATO-Ukraine Commission on the first day of the meeting of NATO foreign ministers.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also participated in the session.

Stoltenberg confirmed that NATO allies remain committed to NATO’s open-door policy, but warned that the “first step is to ensure that Ukraine prevails as an independent nation.”

He welcomed the pledge of NATO allies in supporting Kyiv, and announced that NATO will “develop a multi-year support initiative for Ukraine” to assist the transition of the Ukrainian army from “Soviet-era equipment and doctrines to NATO standards.”

He also reaffirmed NATO’s backing for Kyiv in the face of Russian aggression “for as long as it takes.”

The two-day meeting will continue with talks between NATO foreign ministers and their counterparts from Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Australia.