Stoltenberg: NATO focused on providing aid to Ukraine, not its accession

NATO is currently focused on providing military aid to Ukraine, not on its accession to the alliance, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on July 13, speaking at the meeting of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs and the subcommittee on defence.

"The main focus now on Ukraine is to provide support to help Ukraine prevail as an independent sovereign nation, that’s the main focus, the focus is not on the membership now," he said. "But of course, everything we do to help and support and also modernize Ukrainian defences and security institutions will also move them closer to [NATO] membership," TASS reports. 

He underscored that NATO is actively working on supplying more modern heavy weapons to Ukraine. He noted that the US, the UK and other NATO allies have ensured shipments of such weapons, including the long-range M142 HIMARS missile systems.

Meanwhile, Stoltenberg underscored that NATO does not consider itself a side of the conflict in Ukraine.