MOSCOW, December 24 (Sputnik) — Ukraine can only submit an application for joining NATO after it conducts all the necessary reforms, the alliance's Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, has announced.
"This is a country that says itself that it needs to carry out major reforms in the way they organize their defense, the fight against corruption in order for the state apparatus to work better, and they have said themselves that this will take a few years. They have talked about six years. I do not wish to speculate whether they will need more time, but we are still talking about distant future," Stoltenberg said in an interview with the NRK Norwegian broadcaster.
Answering a question on what could stand in the way of Ukraine's NATO membership, Stoltenberg stated that "this could be that the requirements we set for NATO membership are not fulfilled" but warned against "speculating in detail now about what is required".
According to NRK, Stoltenberg stressed that NATO is not to begin a process to make Ukraine join the alliance, and that Ukrainians still have a job to do with respect to meeting all of NATO's requirements for membership.
The Ukrainian parliament passed a bill on Tuesday cancelling the country's non-aligned status, established in 2010, and confirming Kiev's determination to join NATO.
The new Kiev authorities, which came to power in Ukraine following a coup in February, have been pushing for NATO membership since an armed conflict broke out in southeastern Ukraine in mid-April.
Ukraine's NATO bid has prompted a mixed reaction from the alliance, with the majority of NATO officials saying the country is not ready to join the bloc and urging Kiev to implement a wide range of reforms before pursuing membership.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has repeatedly warned Kiev that a non-aligned status is in the best interests of the Ukrainian people, their neighbors and Europe.
