NATO allies affirm support for Ukraine's push for membership, stop short of extending invitation

Vilnius [Lithuania], July 12 (ANI): North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies on Tuesday affirmed their support for Ukraine's push for becoming a member of the military alliance. However, the NATO allies stopped short of extending an invitation to Ukraine to become a member of the alliance. 
NATO allies noted that the future of Ukraine lies in NATO and recognised that Kyiv's path towards full Euro-Atlantic Integration has moved beyond the need for the membership action plan, according to a joint communique issued by NATO leaders at a summit in Vilnius. 
NATO allies in the joint communique said, "We fully support Ukraine’s right to choose its own security arrangements. Ukraine’s future is in NATO. We reaffirm the commitment we made at the 2008 Summit in Bucharest that Ukraine will become a member of NATO, and today we recognise that Ukraine’s path to full Euro-Atlantic integration has moved beyond the need for the Membership Action Plan."
NATO allies noted that Ukraine has become "increasingly interoperable and politically integrated" with the alliance. The NATO allies said that they will continue to support and review Ukraine's progress through the adapted annual national programme.  
"Ukraine has become increasingly interoperable and politically integrated with the Alliance, and has made substantial progress on its reform path.  In line with the 1997 Charter on a Distinctive Partnership between NATO and Ukraine and the 2009 Complement, Allies will continue to support and review Ukraine’s progress on interoperability as well as additional democratic and security sector reforms that are required," a joint communique issued by NATO leaders reads. 
"NATO Foreign Ministers will regularly assess progress through the adapted Annual National Programme.  The Alliance will support Ukraine in making these reforms on its path towards future membership. We will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance when Allies agree and conditions are met," it added. 
NATO allies reiterated their condemnation of Russia's "blatant violations of international law." They said that Russia must stop the war and cease its use of force against Ukraine. 
"We continue to condemn in the strongest terms Russia’s blatant violations of international law, the Charter of the United Nations, and OSCE commitments and principles. We do not and will never recognise Russia’s illegal and illegitimate annexations, including Crimea," the joint communique issued by NATO leaders reads. 
On Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that the alliance has changed the requirements needed for Ukraine to become part of the group, CNN reported. Stoltenberg said allied nations have "agreed to remove the requirements for membership action" which will make Ukraine’s membership path from a "two-step process to a one-step process," as per the CNN report. He said that NATO allies will invite Ukraine to become part of the military alliance "when conditions are met." (ANI)