It is necessary to assist Ukraine today in the war with Russia, so that Ukraine joins the Alliance in future – NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy

Ukraine, as an independent democracy, plays a central role for NATO’s Euro-Atlantic security.

This was emphasized by Baiba Braze, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, at the 15^th annual Kyiv Security Forum, established by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s “Open Ukraine” Foundation.

She emphasized that NATO supports Ukraine and does everything possible for its victory in the war with the Russian aggressor.

“This war has completely changed the security landscape in Europe – Russia’s actions jeopardize Euro-Atlantic security. Ukraine, as an independent democracy, plays a central role for Euro-Atlantic security,” Baiba Braze said.

She emphasized that NATO considers itself an Alliance “for peace” because it acts, first and foremost, according to the principles of the UN Charter.

“And when we support to Ukraine, starting with the Alliance members render assistance through delivering lethal weapons, or disburse financial assistance – it is obviously done in line with the NATO fundamentals – this is the collective defense, known as Article 5 (of the collective defense agreement – ed.) based on Article 51 of the UN Charter, stating that Ukraine defends itself,” she said.

“Therefore, for us, the right to self-defense, the right to protect one’s choice is an inalienable right of countries, peoples and individuals,” said the NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy.

She emphasized that the NATO members have been supporting Ukraine since 2014 by not only by training the Ukrainian military, but also on issues of logistics, cyber security, and support for special operations forces.

“The main objective is to provide Ukraine with the level of support compatible to our standards, so that we can interact most efficiently in terms of equipment as well,” Baiba Braze added.

The NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy also commented on the prospects of the upcoming summit in Vilnius: “Ukraine has every right to be a member of the Alliance, its place is in the Euro-Atlantic family, and this decision was emphasized back in 2008 in Bucharest. With time, and with our assistance you will attain this goal. This is a pretty clear commitment on our part. We must assist Ukraine in this war so that Ukraine is a democratic, free country that can join NATO in future. This is our collective mission, and we want to attain it.”

Noteworthy, the 15th annual Kyiv security forum “For Our and Your Freedom / Fighting for NATO” will be held on May 25-26, 2023, with the participation of well-known international figures. In particular, at the Forum, the KSF Security Council will be formed and a policy document will be adopted with recommendations for the NATO summit in Vilnius to be held this July.