NATO is not a party to the conflict in Ukraine and remains a defense alliance, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at an unscheduled press conference. Russian media write about this.
At the same time, he emphasized that the Alliance will continue to provide the necessary assistance to Kyiv.
noting that Russia “shows aggression and seizes more territories,” Stoltenberg on behalf of the Alliance urged “to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” emphasizing that NATO member countries never recognize the annexation of Ukrainian territories by Russia.
The Secretary General also evaded a direct answer to the question of whether the Alliance is ready to accept Ukraine in its ranks.
“The decision about the membership of a country in NATO will be made by all 30 members of the alliance. NATO is currently concentrated on assisting Ukraine,” Stoltenberg answered.