Ukraine will be invited to NATO when conditions are met. MAP will be removed – Stoltenberg

Stoltenberg said this at a press conference in Vilnius, where the NATO summit is taking place, Espreso TV reports.

"We have agreed to remove the MAP on Ukraine's path to NATO membership. This will facilitate the process of Ukraine's accession to the Alliance," Stoltenberg said.

He noted that Ukraine will receive an invitation to join NATO when all allies agree and the conditions are met."

The NATO Secretary General summed up that the leaders of the Alliance's member states have approved a package of support for Ukraine, which includes: the removal of the requirement to fulfil the MAP for membership, a long-term military assistance programme to modernise the Ukrainian army and fully adopt NATO standards, and the launch of the NATO-Ukraine Council, which is to become a platform for consultations in crisis situations. 

Its first meeting will take place on 12 July with the participation of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

NATO countries agree on final communiqué on Ukraine

NATO heads of state and government reaffirmed the commitment they made at the 2008 Summit in Bucharest that Ukraine would become a member of NATO. The document recognises that Ukraine’s path to full Euro-Atlantic integration has moved beyond the need for the Membership Action Plan. 

NATO Allies stressed that Ukraine is becoming more operationally and politically integrated with the Alliance and has made significant progress on its reform path.

The communiqué added that NATO Foreign Ministers will regularly assess progress through the adapted Annual National Programme.  The Alliance will support Ukraine in making these reforms on its path towards future membership.  

More details Ukraine's NATO membership path

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. 

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.

On the eve of the summit, Stoltenberg said that Zelenskyy would join the participants at the inaugural meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council.