On the battlefield, Ukraine has already fulfilled the MAP on joining NATO, - the Vice-Chair of the largest party in Europe

Ukraine’s NATO membership can ensure peace for the entire European continent, and Ukraine has already implemented the NATO Membership Action Plan on the battlefield.

This was emphasized by Rasa Yukneviciene, Member of the European Parliament, Vice-Chair of the European People’s Party, at the 15^th annual Kyiv Security Forum, established by Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s “Open Ukraine” Foundation.

According to her, NATO means sustainable and lasting peace strategy in Europe for Ukraine.

MP Yukneviciene says that it is possible to achieve peace even through certain agreements and negotiations with the Kremlin or through mediation. Such peace, though, will be short-lived – it will only result in a short-term truce.

“It is absolutely clear that last year Putin lost his main battle in Kyiv, and that marked the beginning of the collapse of the Putin’s regime in Kremlin. Naturally, there is a long road ahead until this regime falls into pieces, but one this is obvious to me: Ukraine’s membership in NATO will ensure lasting peace on the European continent,” she said.

The Vice-Chairman of the EPP also added that prior 2014 there was no consensus within Ukrainian society on whether Ukraine should join the Alliance. However now this ideas ought to win minds and hearts in the West.

“Europe needs Ukraine, and we must ask Ukraine to agree to be part of Europe. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are the strongest army in Europe, and Ukraine has fulfilled the MAP on the battlefield. It has done even more than the NATO membership action plan asks for. American “Patriot” shot down Russian “Daggers”. Ukraine not solely performed the action plan, it exceeded the requirements of the MAP,” she emphasized.

Rasa Yukneviciene also believes that Ukraine’s membership in the Alliance can help “the post-Putin transformation of Russia into a normal society.”

“Naturally, we have to ensure deterrence, deterrence and deterrence in all possible ways. Even in my country, very few people believe that Russia can be different from what it is now. But I do believe this, and why not?” she added.

Noteworthy, the 15^th 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.