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July 9 () –
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has assured that the next NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, next Tuesday and Wednesday will help the allies agree on a formula for Ukraine’s future entry into the organization that is acceptable to Kiev.
“I am not saying that it will always be easy and direct because when there are so many allies obviously there are different positions, different opinions, but it is nothing new… it is one of NATO’s strengths (…). we unite around a common task, a common message,” Stoltenberg said in an interview with British television Sky News.
Thus, he stressed that NATO has already agreed to improve relations with Ukraine with the creation of the Ukraine-NATO Council. “This provides us with a tool to really deepen and strengthen the Ukraine-NATO partnership and to help Ukraine move closer to NATO and membership,” she said.
As for the presence in Vilnius of the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, Stoltenberg has acknowledged that it is not possible to be “one hundred percent sure.” “But I hope to be able to welcome you”, he has blurted out.
The accession of Sweden and the Turkish veto will also be one of the central issues in Vilnius. Stoltenberg will participate in a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Monday, stressing that “it is still possible” to overcome Turkish reluctance before the meeting.
With regard to his continuity at the head of NATO, Stoltenberg has described it as an “honor” that he has been asked to continue at this very difficult time and after failing to agree on a consensus candidate.
All these open questions are not for Stoltenberg a sign of disunity, but proof that there is a healthy debate that strengthens NATO. “Before each summit, before each important meeting, there are consultations”, he explained.
“We need to invest time in meetings to find a text, find the common base to reach a consensus because we make decisions by consensus. For me that is not a weakness, but a strength,” he stressed.
