NATO insists it has not changed policy towards Ukraine
NATO headquarters says that recognition of Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations on the Alliance's website is only a reflection of reality, and does not mean that it is changing the policy of the bloc, as noted in an official statement by the Alliance headquarters, Evropeiska Pravda reports.
"There has been no change in policy at NATO. NATO's policy remains the same. There has been a change in Ukraine's policy, which the website reflects. We simply amended the information of the website to better reflect reality," a NATO representative said.
It was reported earlier that Ukraine was included in the section dedicated to the expansion of NATO in the list of countries that are striving for full membership in the organization. “Currently, four partner countries have declared their aspirations to NATO membership: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia¹ and Ukraine," the statement on the website reads
According to the description on NATO’s official website, Ukraine has acquired the unofficial status of "Aspirant Country".
A source in the Alliance’s headquarters noted that "the website is constantly changing, and we just want it to reflect the facts." Meanwhile, it has been known that it was not the first time that Ukraine had asked for acknowledgement of this recognition, and that it has only just appeared on the official website.
President Petro Poroshenko said that after receiving the status of "Aspirant Country", Ukraine would seek a Membership Action Plan (MAP) on NATO membership.