Consensus on inviting Ukraine to NATO will be bargaining chip — Ukrainian lawmaker

She made this statement on the Espreso TV channel.

“Regarding Ukraine’s prospects for NATO membership, first of all, if we talk about whether Ukraine is ready to join NATO, whether it has the necessary capabilities and other qualities, then undoubtedly, Ukraine has all of these. Moreover, I am confident that the Alliance would only become stronger with the accession of such a strong country as ours.

On the other hand, when we talk about NATO as a military-political alliance, we must consider the political aspects that each member state of the Alliance may use based on its own perspective on the events around its country. And here, achieving consensus on the necessity of accepting or inviting Ukraine to the Alliance often becomes a bargaining chip,” Friz noted.

According to the member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence, Ukraine could be the next member of the Alliance and meets all the necessary criteria.

“In other words, Ukraine is undoubtedly ready. But is the Alliance ready? Unfortunately, no. In my view, this is due to several factors. First, the subjective political perspectives of each NATO country. Second, the turbulence that the Alliance is experiencing today. We see political swings within NATO, including a rather tough stance from the U.S. on certain issues. Will the Alliance be able to maintain its unity? In my opinion, this question remains open,” Friz emphasized.

• The administration of the U.S. President Donald Trump, as part of a campaign to reduce Pentagon expenditures, is considering the possibility of relinquishing command of NATO forces in Europe.