The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) welcomes the Brussels Summit Declaration issued by the Heads of State and Government of the 29 member nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Brussels, Belgium, on 11-12 July 2018, which acknowledges Ukraine’s aspirations for NATO membership, recognizes the reform process in Ukraine, and reconfirms its commitment to a partnership with Ukraine.
Particularly, with respect to Ukraine’s membership aspirations for NATO, the Brussels Summit Declaration affirms that:
An independent, sovereign and stable Ukraine, firmly committed to democracy and the rule of law is key for Euro-Atlantic security. We stand firm in our support for Ukraine’s right to decide its own future and foreign policy course free from outside interference. In light of Ukraine’s restated aspirations for NATO membership, we stand by our decisions taken at the Bucharest Summit and subsequent Summits.
The Summit participants also reiterated their support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. They strongly condemned “Russia’s illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea”, which they do not recognize. Equally, they urged the Russian Federation to end discrimination against the Crimean Tatars, as well as to withdraw its military units from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine.
NATO also recognized the significant reform progress on the part of the Ukrainian authorities, especially emphasizing the recent Law on the Establishment of a High Anti-Corruption Court and the Law on National Security. At the same time, NATO Allies look forward to further progress needed “to overcome significant remaining challenges” that lie ahead on the reform agenda.
In addition, NATO Allies thanked Ukraine for its valuable contribution to NATO operations and exercises in the Euro-Atlantic area and beyond, which increase the level of interoperability between the Armed Forces of Ukraine and NATO, and ensure a lasting cooperation based on the Charter on a Distinctive Partnership between NATO and Ukraine. NATO thereby acknowledged Ukraine’s interest in the enhanced opportunities partnership within the Partnership Interoperability Initiative and will further entertain this possibility drawing on the decisions taken during the 2014 Wales Summit and the 2016 Warsaw Summit.
“The Ukrainian World Congress welcomes NATO’s Brussels Summit Declaration and hopes it will help accelerate Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration and membership in NATO,” stated UWC President Eugene Czolij.
