Defence chief: Ukraine de-facto NATO member, political decisions remain

Ukraine’s Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov has said that with the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine has de facto become a NATO member.

Only a political decision remains for the country’s accession de jure, he said in an interview with the Madrid-based newspaper La Razon. 

"After this war, the only thing left is the political decision to become a de jure member. Russia is the biggest threat to NATO for the next ten years, as determined at the Madrid summit, and no one has as direct experience in fighting and defeating it as we do. What better reason could there be than that? They need us," Reznikov said.

He said that Ukraine now uses NATO standards and armaments, and also cooperates with the organisation in intelligence, training, use of the arsenal, and military medicine.

The defence minister also denied the claim that NATO was helping Ukraine in its confrontation with Russia but was not providing opportunities to win.

"We can see that the initial expectations have been exceeded and they have faith in us. All the weapons they supplied us with have been used in big victories, and the stakes have risen accordingly. When I asked for Stingers in Washington before it all started, I was told it was impossible. Two months later the first shipment from Lithuania arrived with White House approval. And so, it happens with everything. Nothing is impossible for me," Reznikov stressed.