Our task is to influence guarantees, membership in Alliance to be directly voiced - MP Kniazhytskyi on NATO summit in Vilnius

On Espreso TV, Mykola Kniazhytskyi commented on the expectations of the results of the NATO summit in Vilnius.

“It is up to Ukrainian organizations that are responsible for influencing international public opinion. Sometimes they win the information war, and sometimes they lose. And we saw this with the Kakhovka dam explosion, where, unfortunately, we were unable to achieve results when the situation was clear. Therefore, we will not influence public opinion in such a short period of time, but we can influence the opinion of politicians and NATO members. I don't know whether this influence will be effective. Obviously, there is a lot of talk about Ukraine receiving NATO guarantees. I believe that we will receive these guarantees and I also believe that we will become a member of NATO. However, it is difficult for me to say when this will happen. I have doubts that we will have a big breakthrough at the Vilnius summit. Our task is to influence the fact that these guarantees and NATO membership are actually voiced and this process begins,” the MP said.

Kniazhytskyi does not think that this will have any impact on Russia.

“If we fail to have a breakthrough in Vilnius, I definitely believe in it next year in Washington. I also believe in progress at the Vilnius summit, obviously, not the progress we would like to see, because we are well aware that NATO guarantees and our membership in the Alliance will stop the aggressor. But I think there are other ways of support, and we will get them too,” the MP added.

• On May 23, Ukraine's Ambassador to NATO Natalia Galibarenko said that in the context of the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius, Ukraine is preparing two cooperation packages: a political and a practical one, which will be proposed for discussion.

• On May 30, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced three steps for the success of the Vilnius summit. “Strengthen institutional ties and assistance between Ukraine and NATO. Take a step towards Ukraine's membership in NATO. Provide security guarantees on Ukraine's path to NATO.”