MEPs call on NATO allies to fulfill their obligations to Ukraine and pave the way to invite Kyiv to join the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO).
This is stated in the relevant resolution of the European Parliament (EP).
This document was adopted on May 15. 425 MEPs voted pro, 38 — contra and 42 abstained. Parliamentarians expect that "the accession process will begin after the end of the war and will be completed as soon as possible."
According to them, the EU and its member states, together with NATO allies and like-minded partners, should work closely with Ukraine to develop a temporary framework for security guarantees to be implemented immediately after the war. The Parliament emphasizes that Ukraineʼs integration into both NATO and the EU will strengthen regional and global security and strengthen ties between Ukraine and the Euro-Atlantic community.
In addition, the members of the European Parliament condemned the blowing up of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station, calling it a Russian war crime for which there should be consequences.
The European Parliament also called for a comprehensive and adequate EU recovery package for Ukraine, which should focus on immediate, medium and long-term assistance, reconstruction and recovery of the country. They are waiting for the approval of the Rebuild Ukraine Facility proposed by the European Commission, which will cover the financing of Ukraineʼs reconstruction needs in the coming years.
Parliamentarians confirmed their support for last yearʼs decision of the European Council to grant Ukraine the status of a candidate for the EU. They are demanding a clear path to start accession negotiations and are confident that with enough support the process could begin as early as this year.
- Polish President Andrzej Duda calls for Ukraine to join NATO. However, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron prefer to talk about security guarantees.
- In April, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba said that at the July NATO summit in Vilnius, the Alliance should make a political decision: present a timetable for Ukraineʼs accession or commit to doing so by the end of the year, so that this would be a signal to Russia. The President Volodymyr Zelensky will also come to the July summit — he has accepted the invitation.
- According to The Wall Street Journal, the USA, Great Britain, Germany and France can become security guarantors for Ukraine before its accession to NATO. This will be the so-called "Israeli security model".
- The New York Times newspaper wrote on June 14 that a debate has flared up among NATO member countries, putting pressure on US President Joe Biden to support a much faster and more reliable path to membership for Ukraine.