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NATO may have different points of view on exactly when Ukraine will be able to become a member of the organization, but there can be no compromises on the open doors policy of the alliance, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said, Interfax reports.
At an online event for The Washington Post, Stoltenberg said there is a difference between discussing when Ukraine will join NATO and signing a legally binding document on which Russia insists that there will be no expansion. The secretary general answered the moderator’s question about whether there are any compromise ideas about the alliance’s open doors policy in NATO’s responses to Russia’s proposals on security in Europe.
Stoltenberg said the refusal to expand as such would affect not only Ukraine, but, for example, countries such as Sweden and Finland, which are not going to join the alliance yet, but do not want to lose such an opportunity in principle.
Speaking about Ukraine, the Secretary General recalled that, like other applicants, it must meet certain criteria for entry: they relate to democracy and compliance with NATO standards.
Stoltenberg said that NATO does not intend to publish the responses sent to Russia, as confidentiality is important in diplomatic negotiations.
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