Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO: Stoltenberg

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - NATO members will agree on a new package of assistance for Ukraine and upgrade political ties with Kyiv at the alliance’s summit next month in Vilnius, Lithuania, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday.

"This will bring Ukraine closer to our alliance. Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO," Stoltenberg told reporters at a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

Saying that NATO members will further strengthen their deterrence and defense during the summit, which will take place on July 11-12, he added that "NATO-EU cooperation is more important than ever."

Stoltenberg said the summit will be the first with Finland as a member of the alliance and they are also working to finalize Sweden’s accession.

Turning to last weekend's actions by Russia’s paramilitary Wagner Group, which were deemed "an armed rebellion" by Moscow, he said this is an internal matter for Russia.

At the same time, he added, it demonstrates once again that Russia's war on Ukraine "is a big strategic mistake.”

"It has deepened divisions and created new tensions in Russia. But we should not underestimate Russia, and we must continue to provide support to Ukraine," he added.

Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin accused the Russian army of carrying out an attack on his forces and threatened to retaliate.

He declared "A March of Justice" and set off for Moscow with his fighters, saying in a statement that he was going "to overthrow military chiefs."

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) opened a criminal case against Prigozhin and the Wagner fighters, declaring their actions “an armed rebellion,” and Russian President Vladimir Putin called the private security company’s uprising an act of "treason."

Prigozhin and his fighters later decided to turn back "to avoid bloodshed" when they were 200 kilometers (124 miles) from Moscow.

- NATO’s role more important than ever

For his part, Macron reiterated that NATO’s role is more important than ever.

Also touching on the importance of the upcoming summit, he said it is time to allow Sweden to attend it “as an ally."

"Now more than ever is the time to make decisions that will ensure the unity and stability of the continent," he said.

Macron also noted that a stronger and more operational EU defense will contribute to the security of the continent.

Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership soon after Russia launched its war on Ukraine in February 2022. Although Türkiye approved Finland's membership in NATO, it is waiting for Sweden to abide by a trilateral memorandum signed last June in Madrid to address Ankara's security concerns.

Several NATO allies including the US hope Türkiye will approve Sweden's accession process ahead of the NATO summit.

Sweden passed an anti-terror law in November hoping Ankara would approve its bid to join NATO. The law, effective June 1, allows authorities to prosecute individuals who support terror groups.