NATO’s Door 'Remains Open, Including To Ukraine,' Blinken Says

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday reiterated that the pathway for Ukraine to join the Alliance 'remains open' amid Russia's invasion, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

During a joint press conference at the State Department, Blinken emphasized how the accession of historically neutral countries like Finland and Sweden was far from inevitable, thanks to Vladimir Putin's actions.

"In fact, if you go back a little over two years, no one was talking about it.. But in the wake of Moscow’s renewed aggression against Ukraine, both countries felt that it was clearly in their interest to defend their people and defend their sovereignty by joining the Alliance. I think the process that we’ve seen in actually record time – first with Finland and now with Sweden – demonstrates that NATO’s door is open, remains open, including to Ukraine – which will become a member of NATO," he said.

Blinken went on to add that Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO "also underscores one of the many ways in which Putin's aggression against Ukraine has been an abject strategic failure for Russia."

"He wanted to shrink NATO; it is now larger and getting larger still. He wanted to weaken NATO; it is stronger than it’s ever been," the Secretary said.

Stoltenberg also echoed NATO's unity in light of Russia's aggression, reiterating that the alliance will stand beside Ukraine until the war is brought to an end.

"President Putin started this war, and he could end it today if he stopped attacking a neighbor. The war could also end if Ukraine stopped defending itself, but that would not mean peace," he said, adding "... It would mean Russian occupation, and occupation is not peace. A just peace will require President Putin to realize that he will not get what he wants on the battlefield." 

He went on to add, "Moscow must accept a negotiated solution where Ukraine prevails as a sovereign independent nation.  What happens around the negotiating table is inextricably linked to the situation on the battlefield.  So if we want a lasting, just peace, we must provide Ukraine with more weapons and ammunition. Weapons to Ukraine is the path to peace."

The NATO chief expressed confidence that the U.S. will continue to support Ukraine, reminding everyone that it is in the interest of the U.S. to ensure that Russia does not win in Ukraine.

"Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine is nearing the two-year mark, and a Russian victory would embolden Iran, North Korea, and China," he emphasized. "... That matters for Europe’s security and it matters for America’s security, so supporting Ukraine serves U.S. interests.  For a tiny fraction of annual defense spending, the United States has helped Ukraine destroy a major part of Russia’s combat capacity without placing a single American soldier in harm’s way."

Stoltenberg also said that aiding Ukraine is a joint effort with NATO allies and that it is not viewed as charity but as “an investment in our own security.”