Ukrainians' expectations at NATO summit will not be met - Ukraine’s intelligence chief
The head of Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, says that Ukrainians will be disappointed with the results of the NATO summit to be held in Vilnius on July 11 and 12
Ukrinform reported the information, citing Budanov's interview with The Times.
He believes that Ukraine will not be invited to join NATO at the summit. According to him, the summit did not meet the expectations of their society.
The intelligence chief also added that the summit will "announce some words, but nothing more."
"I am quite sure what will be said: I have seen drafts of speeches," Budanov emphasized.
Ukraine's path to NATO membership:
Ukraine hopes to receive clear decisions on joining the Alliance in July during the NATO meeting in Vilnius. 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.
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 later 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.
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.
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