NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine was discussed at a meeting of the Russia-NATO Council and said that NATO allies are unanimous that the Russian Federation cannot veto Ukraine's entry into the alliance, and are ready to support Kiev, RIA Novosti reports.

“All members are united on the key principle that each state has the right to choose its own path. Allies also agree that only Ukraine and 30 allies (alliance) can decide when Ukraine is ready to become a member of (NATO), no one another. Russia cannot veto Ukraine's accession to NATO," he said after the meeting.

The North Atlantic Alliance at the summit in Bucharest in April 2008 adopted a political statement that "Ukraine and Georgia will eventually become members of NATO." In February 2019, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine approved amendments to the country's constitution, fixing the country's aspirations to join the North Atlantic Alliance. Kiev received the status of a partner of the organization with enhanced opportunities.

The meeting of the Russia-NATO Council took place on January 12 at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels and lasted about four hours. This is the first meeting with the Council in 2.5 years, initiated by the Russian side, and organized as a follow-up to the talks on security guarantees between Russia and the United States, held January 9-10 in Geneva.

The Russian interdepartmental delegation included representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. On behalf of the alliance, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg chaired the meeting.

On January 13, consultations will be held at the Vienna site of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

bbabo.Net