Ukraine cannot become NATO member until conflict ends: NATO chief
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Kyiv: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said Ukraine cannot become a bloc member until the end of the conflict.
His remark came during a public lecture at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, Ukrinform reported on Friday.
"The fact that the war is in an active stage does not allow us to invite them (Ukrainians) tomorrow or today", Stoltenberg said during the lecture.
“Most wars last longer than is expected when they first start. Therefore, we must prepare ourselves for a long war in Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said in an interview with German newspaper Berliner Morgenpost last week.
At the same time, Stoltenberg suggested that Ukraine may become a NATO member after the cessation of the hostilities in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Xinhua news agency reported.
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"These are interrelated issues -- NATO membership, ending the war and ensuring lasting peace after the war," he said.
“We are all wishing for a quick peace. But at the same time, we must recognize: If President Zelensky and the Ukrainians give up the fight, their country would not exist anymore. If President Putin and Russia laid down their weapons, we would have peace,” the NATO chief said.
“The easiest way to end this war would be if Putin withdrew his troops,” he added.
Providing Ukraine with Western-style weapons and training of Ukrainian servicemen is bringing Ukraine closer to NATO membership, he further said.
NATO recognised Ukraine as its Enhanced Opportunities Partner in 2020.
