NATO Membership the Only Long-Term Security Guarantee for Ukraine
Kiev, Ukraine – The only long-term and credible security guarantee for Ukraine against future Russian attacks is its membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said on Wednesday in an interview with Reuters in Kiev.
“I think the only long-term security guarantee is Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, which is NATO membership” Valtonen said. “And we will support Ukraine’s NATO membership in the future.”
According to the North Atlantic Treaty, member countries must provide mutual assistance in the event of a threat or attack on a member state. Article 5 envisions collective defense in the event of an attack on a NATO member.
Ukraine has long been pushing for NATO membership, which currently comprises 32 member states. However, Kiev has faced repeated resistance from some key member states.
Contrary to this, US President Donald Trump has criticized the significant US aid to Ukraine and expressed sympathy with Russia’s position that Ukraine should not join NATO. Trump’s advisors also view Ukraine’s membership as a provocation against Moscow.
Valtonen, however, dismissed the idea that the Trump administration’s stance would necessarily mean the end of Ukraine’s NATO aspirations. “Three years ago, no one would have thought that Finland would join NATO” she said. “Now we are here. You never know what the future holds.