BRUSSELS, Nov 30 to remain an independent state, and not join NATO, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said following a two-day meeting of the foreign ministers of the countries of the bloc, held in Romania.
«It is important that Ukraine be preserved as an independent nation in Europe. For this we must to mobilize as much military, financial and economic assistance for Ukraine as possible. We are doing this. If Ukraine does not remain as an independent and sovereign state, then the question of NATO membership will not be raised at all,» he said, answering a journalist's question, not does Ukraine deserve admission to NATO.
The NATO countries at the summit in Bucharest in 2008 confirmed that Georgia and Ukraine have the right to membership in the alliance, postponing the decision of the issue indefinitely. In June, NATO leaders at a summit in Brussels supported the right of both countries to join the alliance. They also stated the need to continue reforms, but did not name the terms for the possible entry of these countries into the organization.