The Chair of the Committee on Ukraine s Integration into the EU took
part in the Kyiv-Ukraine Security Forum Ukraine-NATO: United for a New
Era.
Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze noted that the course for membership in the
EU and NATO was a strategic goal of Ukraine, enshrined in the
Constitution of our country. Moreover, today NATO membership for
Ukraine, the Chair of the Committee is convinced, is an existential
choice and a question of survival. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze noted
that for many of our Central European neighbours, joining NATO has
become a kind of democratic filter: “NATO membership is not about the
comparability of NATO formal standards and approaches to weapons or
procedures. We are talking about approaches, principles, rules and
their observance, and this is what we really lack today. When we make
reforms, when we say that we want NATO membership and we are trying to
set ourselves some tasks, we are doing these tasks not for NATO or for
the European Union. We do this in order to be successful and strong. If
we respond to all these approaches, there will be no political
opportunity to deny us membership in the alliance”.
Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze reminded that NATO was the institution that
has consistently supported Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian
invasion. Now, in the opinion of the Chair of the Committee, it is
important to increase this rhetoric of the alliance regarding Ukraine:
“NATO is an institution that almost immediately accepted the fact that,
unfortunately, Russia is an aggressor; an institution that supported
Ukraine as much as possible, calling black - black and white - white.
It was important for us and we need to develop it”.
The Chair of the Committee noted that among the member states of the
alliance, unfortunately, today there were those who were significantly
influenced by the Russian Federation: “We shall honestly say that we
have problems with countries that use their personal interests to
oppose our membership in the alliance. Unfortunately, Hungary has been
putting sticks in Ukraine's wheels for several years, using its alleged
interest in protecting national minorities. And we are told that we
cannot overcome it in any way. I will say - we can. We have received
the status of an Enhanced Opportunities Partner of NATO! And I do not
agree with the statement that when the decision was made by consensus,
Hungary did not abstain by accident. Hungary did not hold back
precisely because there were other allies that persuaded it not to do
so. This means that in other things we can also work together with our
partners within the Alliance”.
Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze also noted the danger from Russia in the
context of Ukraine's relations with the alliance: “We cannot pretend
that there is no such aggressive neighbour near us. It is, it will not
go anywhere. Obviously, we are not free from the risk that if a
decision is made to provide Ukraine with a MAP, the Russian Federation
will decide to go to war with us. Because, in fact, we are the antipode
of Russia. We have dignity, we have our own interest, we have how to
defend it and we must be able to explain to the democratic world,
including the Alliance, why they will be stronger with us. Without
Ukraine, there is neither the security of Europe nor the security of
the Euro-Atlantic world”.
Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze reminded that not only the rhetoric of the
authorities about the importance of Ukraine's membership in the North
Atlantic Alliance was important, but concrete actions and reforms were:
“Rhetoric is absolutely necessary, but it shall always be supported by
action. And with this we have significant problems today and our
partners see it”. At the same time, in the opinion of the Chair of the
Committee, it is very important that Ukraine's partners in the alliance
also act responsibly so that they continue to be the positive magnet
for Ukraine, which is shaping its political nation.
Today, according to Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, the struggle between
autocracy and democracy continues in the world. “Not only do we have to
defend our national interest; we have a much greater civilizational
role - to prove by our example that the democratic path of development
is stronger. And if we succeed - not only Ukraine will benefit from
this, the world will benefit. This will be another positive moment,
which will convincingly show that we have added value from our
membership in the Alliance”, — the Chair of the Committee concluded.