US Ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, stated that during the upcoming NATO summit in Washington, the issues of strengthening Ukraine's air defense and the country's integration into the Alliance may be raised.
Brink noted that she expects three things from the North Atlantic Council meeting.
Strengthening air defense
As mentioned above, the first issue will likely concern strengthening air defense, which is currently important for protecting cities and the front line.
She said that she expects there will be announcements about air defense, which is extremely important for Ukraine, especially at this time, both for protecting the front line and cities and the energy infrastructure.
Integration into NATO
The other two issues concern Ukraine's plans to become a NATO member. According to her, she expects announcements that will offer something to help the country join the Alliance.
"A bridge to NATO has been talked about before, but it is something that will physically work with the Ukrainian government and people to move towards this goal," Brink noted.
In particular, Brink expects formulations that will facilitate Ukraine's step towards NATO.
The US Ambassador to Ukraine mentioned that NATO allies are currently considering the situation, so she cannot say precisely what the outcomes will be. However, she expressed confidence that it will clearly show Ukraine's future in NATO, help bring Ukraine closer to the Alliance, and, importantly, demonstrate that the Alliance stands behind Ukraine.
NATO Summit in Washington
Ukraine will be one of the key topics during the NATO anniversary meeting, which will be held in Washington from July 9 to 11. As US Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted, participants will focus on strengthening Kyiv's victory in the long term.
Reuters, in turn, reported that Ukraine might hear good news about the transfer of air defense systems during the meeting.
For more details on Ukraine's expectations from the summit, read the RBC-Ukraine article.
