This article was reprinted with permission after being published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
A senior State Department official told RFE/RL that U.S. President Joe Biden’s recent remarks that Ukraine is unlikely to join NATO while fighting to fight Russian forces are certainly a change in Washington’s place ahead of a crucial conference for the defense group’s leaders.
In an interview conducted on May 28 and published in Time magazine, Biden made the apparent suggestion that he no more supported Ukraine’s participation in NATO, a shift from what had been suggested by Washington and the empire itself.
But James O’Brien, U. S. assistant secretary of state for Western and European affairs, told RFE/RL on June 11 while on a attend to Armenia that “interpretations began to run away” from the interpretation of Biden’s comments, and that Washington remains dedicated to Ukraine’s participation in the empire.
” There’s no change in our position. I think what the president said, if I could just paraphrase, he said he does n’t believe in Ukraine joining NATO now”, O’Brien said.
” Our location, really…is that Ukraine will be in the alliance when circumstances allow”.
In the broad- ranging June 4 meeting with Time, Biden said that “peace looks like making certain Russia not, never, never, never occupies Ukraine. That’s what harmony looks like”.
But, he added,” It does n’t mean NATO ,]that ] they are part of NATO”.
O’Brien went on to say that Biden was” not ready” to assist Ukrainian membership by referring to the NATO summit in July.
It will be obvious that Ukraine needs to implement some changes, and it will take some time to change its military from what it was before Russia’s subsequent war to what it will require to be a member of NATO.
” And we’ll throw out]at the mountain ] both how NATO will help Ukraine in getting ready. So we are talking about some measures, “he added.
NATO , stated , in the ultimate declaration of last year’s conference in Vilnius that” Ukraine’s prospect is in NATO” and there are signs that the future conference of the alliance in Washington next month would strengthen the message of support for Kyiv’s future participation.
A NATO source who spoke on condition of anonymity told RFE/RL that “my understanding is that the American position should be offered as a bridge to NATO membership.” “
O’Brien made similar remarks, noting that Ukraine will remain a NATO ally as it looks to get ready for the long term.
” We’re talking about NATO assisting with building Ukraine’s future force, so that it will know that it has a military able to deter and repel further Russian aggression, but also that NATO will assist with Ukraine’s reforms,” O’Brien said.
