The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk addressed the participants of the 69th Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly
First of all, the Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine expressed his gratitude to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly for its unwavering support of Ukraine against the backdrop of russia’s unjust and brutal full-scale invasion, which has been going on for almost 20 months.
“We will not give up our choice to be a part of the democratic world,” said the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, expressing his belief that the entire democratic world is equally ready to support Ukraine.
At the same time, Ruslan Stefanchuk emphasised that the NATO Parliamentary Assembly also contributes to Ukraine’s victory. “Parliaments must find the basis for future “pillars of security” in the world. This is our task as representatives of our voters,” he said.
“I am pleased that the Parliamentary Assembly recognised Ukraine’s significant contribution to Euro-Atlantic security during its last plenary session in Luxembourg. You noted that Ukraine takes its rightful place in the Euro-Atlantic family and called on the participants of the Vilnius Summit to agree on the next important steps towards Ukraine’s membership in NATO,” the Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine stressed.
In addition, Ruslan Stefanchuk expressed his gratitude to the national parliaments that also supported Ukraine’s membership in NATO. “After the NATO Summit in Vilnius, we should already start thinking about how we will approach the NATO Summit in Washington together,” said the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, adding that Ukraine’s goal is to make maximum progress and receive an invitation to join NATO at the next Summit, when the Alliance celebrates its 75th anniversary.
The Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine also called on Allies to reach a consensus on this issue and to contribute to achieving such a consensus.
“Every vote counts. In this regard, we will be grateful for the consolidated voice of the Assembly, which will encourage the governments of the Alliance member states to support the decision to invite Ukraine to join NATO at the Washington Summit,” said the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
“We know that our path to NATO lies through reforms. In line with the spirit of the Vilnius Summit decisions, we remain committed to a reform agenda that helps Ukraine move forward towards NATO membership, strengthen our defence capabilities and interoperability with the Alliance,” stressed Ruslan Stefanchuk.
At the same time, he stressed that today everyone understands that the Armed Forces of Ukraine is a modern army that is transforming itself on the battlefield and meets the standards of democracy and human rights.
“This is the way we are moving and achieving reforms that are not only necessary for joining NATO or the European Union, but also needed by Ukrainians,” the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine concluded.