“Former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in his memoir On My Watch recalled that during his first meeting with the then President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko in 2015, he repeatedly asked when Ukraine would be able to join the Alliance.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Source: “European truth” from a reference to Stoltenberg’s memoir On My Watch (“In my time”)
Details: Stoltenberg made his first visit to Ukraine as NATO Secretary General in September 2015 – for opening of international military exercises “Ukraine-2015” in Yavorov.
Advertising:
Outside the press conference, Stoltenberg and the then president of Ukraine talked at the military academy. The former Secretary General recalls that Poroshenko talked a lot about how Russia falsifies history to justify aggression.
“Then, in between a few pieces of sausage and a sip of beer, Poroshenko asked: ‘When will we become members of NATO?'” the memoirs state.
According to Stoltenberg, he told Poroshenko that three conditions had to be met for a new country to join the Alliance: the country must be European, democratic and able to contribute to NATO’s security.
“The third criterion is the main problem,” Stoltenberg quotes himself, explaining that he meant the resistance of some states that considered Ukraine’s possible membership a provocation for Russia.
He further told Poroshenko that NATO is already helping Ukraine “implement reforms, fight corruption, and implement NATO standards and doctrines,” which strengthens Ukraine’s defense capabilities, “and will also ensure Ukraine’s readiness for membership as soon as the appropriate political conditions are created and we reach an agreement on your accession.”
“However, Petro Poroshenko did not agree. “So when can we join?” he asked again. “I don’t know,” I replied. It was at least an honest answer,” the memoirs state.
Stoltenberg too tellsas he banned NATO subordinates from mocking Trump after he was elected president in 2016 in order to mend relations with the new administration.
Also former Secretary General of NATO explainedwhy, at the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion in 2022, the Alliance did not proceed to create a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
