Envoy: Ukraine, US align on sovereignty but diverge on NATO path

Ukraine and the United States share a common position that Ukrainian sovereignty must be preserved unconditionally, but discussions are ongoing over how this principle aligns with Ukraine’s prospects for joining NATO, Kyiv’s Ambassador to the Alliance Alyona Alyona Getmanchuk said. 

Getmanchuk noted that, unlike Ukraine—where sovereignty and territorial integrity are seen as inseparable—the U.S. side treats these concepts as distinct and allows for different policy approaches toward each, Caliber.Az reports via European Pravda.

While U.S. officials consistently emphasise their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, references to territorial integrity are less frequent, she said.

For the record, Kyiv and Washington are currently engaged in talks on how best to reconcile U.S. support for Ukrainian sovereignty with Ukraine’s aspiration to join NATO.

Getmanchuk expressed hope that during the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels on December 3, member states would reaffirm Ukraine’s right to determine its own foreign-policy course.

“Even if some of our partners do not agree that NATO membership is today or in the near future the most effective security guarantee, preserving the membership perspective itself is a guarantee of our sovereignty. Ukraine cannot be sovereign without the right to choose its future and the alliances and organisations it seeks to join,” she stressed.

By Khagan Isayev