The White House: Corruption In Ukraine Is An Impediment To NATO Membership. Nearer To Membership In NATO Ukraine Believes It To Be, The Further Away It Actually Is.
The White House: Corruption In Ukraine Impediment To NATO Membership
The Nearer To Membership In NATO The Government Of Ukraine Believes It To Be, The Further Away It Actually Is.
Macro Feel-Good Comments From Politicians Are Far Different Than Micro Reality-Check Comments By Politicians.
Feel Good Statements Are Easy To Deliver In Speeches, Not So Much In Negotiations.
The White House
Washington DC
17 June 2024
PRESS BRIEFING BY PRESS SECRETARY KARINE JEAN-PIERRE AND NATIONAL SECURITY COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR JOHN KIRBY
Q Thanks, John. Thanks, Karine. Secretary General Stoltenberg was talking about once the current fighting in Ukraine ends, that the ultimate security guarantee to prevent it from happening again -- that Russia invades again -- is Article 5 from NATO. He seemed to be very clear that Ukraine should be admitted into NATO after the current fighting ends. Is that a -- is -- can you speak to that? Is that a commitment that the U.S. shares, feels -- that once this cur- -- once this current fighting ends, that -- feels strongly that Ukraine can get into NATO?
MR. KIRBY: The President has said that he believes that NATO is in Ukraine's future. And there's -- there's a lot of things that have to be done before they can join the Alliance, like any member has to do before they can join the Alliance. But the President believes firmly that NATO is in Ukraine's future at some point.
Q But those -- those conditions that have been -- have been, you know, ki- -- it’s somewhat a little bit vague. It's been a very di- -- it has not been a very clear pathway when would they be able to do the actio- --
MR. KIRBY: I disagree.
Q -- the action plan –
MR. KIRBY: No --
Q -- that they can get on?
MR. KIRBY: No, I'm sorry, I got to disagree with you there.
Q What’s –
MR. KIRBY: It’s not -- it's absolutely clear. And they -- and -- and the Alliance –
Q What are the specific conditions that Ukraine needs to meet?
MR. KIRBY: The Alliance has talked about and the United States has certainly talked about, first, they got to win this war. All right? They got to win the war first. And so, number one, we're doing everything we can to make sure they can do that. Then when the war is over, no matter what it looks like, they're still going to have a long border with Russia and a legitimate security threat to the Ukrainian people. That's why the President at the -- at the G7 signed our bilateral security agreement joining -- what? -- some other -- 14, 15 other countries that have done the same thing to make sure that, for the long haul, Ukraine's defense industrial base can continue to make sure that they have what they need to defend themselves, and that includes assistance from the United States. That's the long haul. That will help -- that will help them defend themselves while they work on the necessary things they have to do, like any member of the Alliance has to work on -- for instance, on corruption -- before they can apply for NATO membership. But we do believe that NATO is in Ukraine's future, and we're going to work with them every step of the way to get them there.
Q Is corruption still a major concern for –
MR. KIRBY: The –
Q -- NATO Alliance (inaudible)?
MR. KIRBY: Corruption is a concern. But there's -- there's certainly o- -- other things that need to be done for any -- any nation that wants to join the Alliance. And I want to reiterate that joining the Alliance is an Alliance decision; it's not something the United States can just make happen magically. It has to be done through the existing Allies as well.