Latvian Saeima: Ukraine must be accepted into NATO

The Saeima urges NATO to take a decision on inviting Ukraine to participate in the alliance and to formulate specific tasks for the rapid integration of Ukraine into the alliance, the Saeima Press Service said on June 1.

On Thursday, June 1, the statement “Support for Ukraine at the Vilnius Summit” was supported by 88 Saeima members, while 10 parliamentarians from the For Stability! party voted against it.

The statement reads that the Saeima will continue to support Ukraine on its way to joining the European Union. Latvia also advocates strong and practical assistance from the European Union and NATO allies to Ukraine, providing military, technical, defense, and humanitarian support to Ukraine for as long as necessary to ensure the Ukrainian state's ability to defend its territory on land, sea and air.

The Saeima stressed that Ukraine has permanently taken a move toward Euro-Atlantic integration, and it supports Ukraine's full-fledged inclusion in the North Atlantic Alliance as soon as conditions allow it.

The parliament considers that the opportunities provided by the Vilnius Summit should be used to extend NATO support to Ukraine through practical measures and strengthen the political partnership between NATO and Ukraine. NATO must therefore take a decision to invite Ukraine to participate in the Alliance.

The head of the Saeima Foreign Affairs Commission, Rihards Kols (National Alliance), said that three clear messages would be desirable at the Vilnius Summit.

“The first – Ukraine will join NATO in the foreseeable future, the second – there will be a mutual agreement on the path to this NATO membership, and the third – Russia has no say in this matter,” said Kols.

The Saeima statement also expressed categorical condemnation of Russia's unprovoked military aggression and large-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has been implemented with the support and engagement of Belarus. The Saeima also points out that Ukraine, as any country, has the right to choose which international organizations, supranational formations, or military alliances to participate in.

The NATO summit will take place in Vilnius on July 11-12 this year, and one of the main issues on the agenda will be related to Ukraine's future in the Alliance.

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