President Pavel says NATO should adopt clear position on Ukraine's membership

NATO member states should be clear at the upcoming summit in Vilnius about Ukraine's prospects of joining the military alliance after the war is over, President Petr Pavel said in an interview with Radio Free Europe published on Thursday. He added that Ukraine joining the EU and NATO is the only guarantee of stability in the region and would benefit the alliance itself, as it would "undoubtedly be the most experienced army in NATO".

Russia's invasion of Ukraine will be one of the key topics discussed at the NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, in July. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said last week that the alliance must discuss options for providing Ukraine with security guarantees for after Russia's war against the country ends. Ukraine's NATO membership bid is mainly supported by the countries in the alliance's eastern wing. Western member states are still more hesitant to accept Kyiv's entry.