Ukraine, by joining NATO, can become guarantor of security for NATO member states on eastern flank

She shared her opinions with Espreso TV.

"Returning to the position of the Baltic states and Poland regarding Ukraine's membership in NATO, our country can actually become a guarantor of their security on the eastern flank of Europe. Because as soon as Russia starts rattling its weapons or conducting any exercises near the borders of NATO member states, they immediately call and invite a larger contingent from the US, Canada or Germany," said the Ukrainian MP.

Yevheniya Kravchuk added that Canada has announced a twofold increase in its contingent in Latvia.

"If Ukraine becomes a member of the Alliance, it will actually be a wall, a guarantee of security for the entire region on the eastern flank. That is why we are talking about the value Ukraine will bring to the Alliance. But, obviously, just like on February 24, 2022, we knew that our main point was the Ukrainian Armed Forces. And our main goal today in the short term is to strengthen our combat capability, which is why we need help from NATO countries. I hope that there will be a shift in the philosophy of Western countries as soon as there are other signals about the Kremlin's weakness. However, NATO countries still keep in mind Russia's nuclear button, and this really scares them," Kravchuk said.

Ukraine's path to NATO membership:

Ukraine hopes to receive clear decisions on joining the Alliance in July during the NATO meeting in Vilnius. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that Ukraine will become a NATO member in the future, but due to the ongoing war, specific dates for accession cannot be determined. 

On June 15, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for Ukraine's membership in NATO with 425 votes in favor. On June 16, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on NATO chief Stoltenberg to drop the Membership Action Plan (MAP) if Ukraine joins NATO. US President Joe Biden expressed support for removing the MAP stage, making the joining process simpler for Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized Ukraine's role in Europe's defense and called on allies to invite the country to NATO. He also stated that Ukraine has valid reasons to receive a political invitation to NATO at the Vilnius summit. James Cleverly, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in the UK, assured support for Ukraine's simplified entry into NATO.

On June 28, during a speech in parliament on Constitution Day, President Zelenskyy proposed 5 points of the Ukrainian Doctrine, which stipulates that Ukraine's future lies in the EU and NATO, for discussion. On June 30, US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith said that NATO member states are close to a consensus on Ukraine's accession to NATO without the MAP.

On July 4, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda called on NATO allies to offer Ukraine a simplified accession to the Alliance at the Vilnius summit to increase Ukrainians' effectiveness on the battlefield. On July 5, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and his Polish counterpart Zbigniew Rau expressed hope that Ukraine would be admitted to NATO under an accelerated procedure.

Later, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Ukraine deserves NATO membership, and that everyone would benefit from a just peace. In contrast, the US president said he believed that Ukraine's accession to NATO could be considered only after the war against Russia ends.

On Sunday, July 9, media reported that the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany are negotiating to finalize a declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine on the eve of the NATO summit. And on July 10, Stoltenberg and Nausėda preliminarily confirmed the Alliance's agreement to cancel the Membership Action Plan for Ukraine's future accession to NATO.

On July 11, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the Allies had agreed to remove the Membership Action Plan from Ukraine's path to joining the bloc.