Atlantic Council's address to US president has three main messages on Ukraine's accession to NATO - Ambassador Herbst

He said this at the Kyiv Security Forum, which was broadcast by the Espreso TV channel.

"The Americans were disappointed with the outcome of the Vilnius Summit. We believe that NATO could have taken a more decisive step towards Ukraine's membership in the Alliance. We decided that we would gather a group of experts, specialists, and former high-ranking officials to look at the issue: what can be done to accelerate Ukraine's accession to NATO through the Washington Summit that will take place next year," explained John Herbst.

According to the Director of the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Centre, a decisive step towards Ukraine's NATO membership is needed.

"We have gathered a distinguished audience: US ambassadors, former secretaries of state, former heads of military structures in Europe and created a document. There are three main ideas or messages in this document, which are included in the memo to the US president. First, we are facing the most strategic challenge from the Kremlin's aggressive policy. And supporting Ukraine is about protecting American interests. Secondly, we need a decisive step towards Ukraine's membership in NATO, which should be taken at the Washington Summit. To do this, it is important to improve Ukraine's prospects on the battlefield. The document clearly outlines the types of weapons and military assistance that Ukraine needs. Thirdly, the document contains a proposal to NATO," added John Herbst.

• On 23 October, the Kyiv Security Forum event "Bold Agenda for the NATO Summit in Washington in 2024" started