Ukraine, its armed forces, and its people are fighting against the Russian aggressor not only for their own security but also for the security of the entire European continent. Therefore, Ukraine’s position remains unchanged – the country will be a NATO member and will become a European Union member.
This was stated today in Brussels by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Rustem Umerov, following the UDCG meeting.
This is how he responded to a question from a Ukrinform correspondent regarding how Ukraine’s security guarantees vision has changed following today’s statements from U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who called “unrealistic” returning Ukraine to its 2014 borders, its NATO membership, and ruled out the possibility of NATO troops being present as peacekeepers in any peace settlement in Ukraine.
“Firstly, UDCG, or the ‘Ramstein’ format, is focused on security and defense assistance. All political matters will be discussed but not by defense ministers. So, you’ve heard all these statements for the last 33 years, we need to get used to them. Our position has always been unchanged. We want to be a NATO member-country. We will be a NATO member-country, and we will be a European Union member-country. We maintain our defense capabilities, and we are able to do that. Therefore, we have our priorities. Any conclusions will be made together with our people,” Umerov emphasized.
In response to a follow-up question from journalists regarding the idea of sending European peacekeepers to Ukraine, he noted that the idea is perceived “very positively” by partners, and they continue to discuss the modalities and formats of such a potential mission.
The Ukrainian minister also gave a clear response to the question of whether Ukraine would be able to resist Russian invaders if the U.S. assistance were reduced.
“We are capable, and we will win this war. We are holding back Russia and making our own contribution to security assistance. As many as 55 percent of this assistance was provided by Ukraine itself, 25 percent by our European and other partners, while 20 percent of military aid came from the United States. These 20 percent are unprecedented as they included undoubtedly important lethal weapons. We are grateful to all the countries that support us. But we would like to emphasize that the Ukrainian soldiers and the Ukrainian people defend not only our own security but also the security of the continent and our Euro-Atlantic partners,” the Minister of Defense of Ukraine emphasized.
As previously reported, a meeting of NATO defense ministers is taking place in Brussels. Today, a UDCG meeting took place. Tomorrow, NATO officials will hold a session of the North Atlantic Council and an informal meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council at the level of defense ministers.
Source: Umerov: Ukraine's position on NATO membership remains unchanged
