Ukraine insists on NATO membership, dismisses alternative security proposals
Ukraine has pre-emptively rejected any alternative security guarantees that might be proposed instead of the country's full NATO membership.
This announcement coincides with the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Budapest Memorandum. Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Andriy Sybiha, is set to present this declaration during the upcoming NATO ministerial meeting that begins on December 3 in Brussels.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Kyiv perceives the Budapest Memorandum as a "monument to short-sightedness in strategic security decisions," emphasizing that any development of European security that disregards Ukraine's interests is "doomed to fail."
"We are convinced that the only real security guarantee for Ukraine, and a deterrent against further Russian aggression towards Ukraine and other states, is full NATO membership for Ukraine," the statement asserts.
The Ministary underscores that Ukraine rejects any alternative formats to membership at the outset due to the "bitter experience" of the Budapest Memorandum, signaling that Kyiv will not entertain any alternatives.
"Inviting Ukraine into NATO now would effectively counteract Russian blackmail and dispel Kremlin illusions about obstructing Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration. It is also the only chance to stop the erosion of key nuclear non-proliferation principles and restore confidence in nuclear disarmament," the Foreign Ministry added.