VOA News | Thursday, July 11, 2024 
NATO, Ukrainian leaders meet Thursday at Washington summit

WASHINGTON — NATO and Ukrainian leaders are meeting Thursday in Washington, a day after NATO allies bolstered support for Ukraine to join the alliance. The NATO summit’s final day will also include talks with leaders from Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and the European Union addressing security challenges and cooperation. A NATO communique released by the 32-member bloc Wednesday said Ukraine’s path to NATO membership is “irreversible.” “It’s not a question of if, but when,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters Wednesday. The United States was once deeply concerned about whether Ukraine was ready for NATO membership but now appears resolved to ensure Kyiv eventually joins the alliance. “We’re providing that bridge to membership for Ukraine. It’s really a significant deliverable,” Michael Carpenter, the senior director for Europe at the National Security Council, told VOA. Stoltenberg said that when fighting stops in Ukraine, NATO will need to ensure that halt will be the final end to violence there. The way to ensure it stops for good, Stoltenberg said, is NATO membership for Ukraine. Otherwise, he said, Russia could continue its aggression. Unlike the European Union, which began negotiations with Ukraine to join its ranks on June 25, there is no consensus yet about Ukraine joining NATO…Read more