Ukraine is not ready to become NATO member – military expert Stupak

He expressed this opinion on the air of the Espreso TV channel. 

"Now our Western partners are in a very difficult situation. We have no alternative to NATO, but our Western allies have a choice. They can choose between World War III and a nuclear war, and they really don't want that. Therefore, we may be offered NATO membership later. Only after the end of the war or the end of active hostilities will we be able to apply for an invitation to NATO," explained Stupak.

The military expert believes that Ukraine will receive an invitation to NATO after the war with Russia is over. 

"No matter what discussions are held, let's face it. In reality, Ukraine is not ready to become a NATO member. It is wrong to argue that we are ready because we have a lot of Western weapons. Yes, we have such weapons. We see it in photographs and videos of our military. However, there are many units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine where the military are fighting with old Soviet assault rifles, guns and equipment. Therefore, we still need a lot of time to learn and fully switch to NATO weapons," he added.

More details on NATO summit and Ukraine's accession to the Alliance

The July 11-12 NATO summit is taking place in Vilnius. Ukraine is expecting concrete decisions on its path to joining the Alliance. On May 23, Ukraine's ambassador to NATO, Natalia Galibarenko, mentioned that Ukraine is preparing two cooperation packages (political and practical), which will be presented for discussion during the upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius. 

On May 30, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba outlined three key points that define Ukraine's vision for a successful outcome at the NATO summit in Vilnius. "Strengthen Ukraine-NATO institutional ties and assistance. Take a step toward UA membership. Provide security guarantees on Ukraine’s path to NATO." 

On June 10, Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister, Volodymyr Havrylov, expressed his belief that the July NATO summit in Vilnius  will set the algorithm for Ukraine's accession to the Alliance.

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. However, he is confident that during the Vilnius summit, the member countries will work towards finding a solution regarding Ukraine's progress.

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.

James Cleverly, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in the UK, assured support for Ukraine's simplified entry into NATO.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine has valid reasons to receive a political invitation to NATO at the Vilnius summit.

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.

In an interview with CNN, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that an official invitation to join NATO is extremely important for Ukraine. He appealed to US leader Joe Biden to do so.

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.

On July 7, Jens Stoltenberg announced that Zelenskyy will attend the first meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council in Vilnius.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that Ukraine deserves NATO membership, emphasizing that everyone stands to gain from a fair peace.

On 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.

On July 10, NATO reached a consensus on the abolition of the MAP for Ukraine.