UA
FR
DEA possibility of obtaining a NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) is currently the most pressing issue for Ukraine, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said during a conversation with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
“We are committed to reforming our army and defenсe sector, but reforms alone will not stop Russia. NATO is the only way to end the war in Donbas. Ukraine’s MAP will be a real signal for Russia,” the President’s press service quotes Volodymyr Zelensky as saying.
He briefed NATO Secretary General on “Russia‘s continued accumulation of troops near Ukraine’s borders and on their increased readiness for offensive action” and thanked for the Alliance’s attention to the security situation around Ukraine.
The President of Ukraine called on NATO member states to strengthen their military presence in the Black Sea region “which should be a powerful deterrent to Russia that continues the large-scale militarisation of the region.”
At the same time, Stoltenberg posted on his Twitter account: “I called President Zelensky to express serious concern about Russia’s military activities in and around Ukraine and ongoing ceasefire violations. NATO firmly supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We remain committed to our close partnership.”
The day before, NATO Allied Land Command stated that Ukraine was one of the valued partners of the Alliance.
“Ukraine is a valued partner of the Alliance and one of our six Enhanced Opportunity Partners. NATO Allied Land Command currently has one Ukrainian officer serving in our headquarters,” reads the post.
It is noteworthy that this statement was the first post in the Ukrainian language published on the official Twitter account of the NATO Allied Land Command.
Bohdan Marusyak
