Lüter: Russia has no say in Ukraine's accession to NATO
Russia has no say in Ukraine's accession to NATO, and the decision is entirely dependent on the unanimous agreement of the member states. NATO Secretary General Mark Lüter said in an interview with El País: "Russia has no right to vote or veto any country joining NATO." He added that at the same time, the membership decisions within the alliance must be unanimously approved. "At the Washington summit, we decided that the process for Ukraine to join NATO is irreversible. At the same time, several allies, including the United States, have stated that they currently oppose Ukraine's accession to NATO," Lüter pointed out. He added that as part of the US peace plan, sufficient and reliable security guarantees must be provided to Ukraine to ensure that if Ukraine cannot join NATO, Russia will no longer attempt to attack Ukraine. He added that Russia "will continue to pose a long-term threat. If a Russian president is willing to sacrifice the lives of a million of its own citizens (…), we must be prepared. That is why we must increase defense spending. The peace plan does not change the assessment that Russia poses a long-term threat to Europe."
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849894613309578/
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