Poland explains why Ukraine can't join NATO now
Speaking at the Krynica Forum in southern Poland on Wednesday, Duda recalled meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Vladimir Zelensky to discuss Kiev’s future in NATO in the months preceding the bloc’s summit, held in Vilnius in July.
“From the beginning, we were of course aware that this was a very difficult issue. In particular, it’s difficult simply because there’s a war going on and we’re all well aware that a direct admission of Ukraine as a full member of NATO is out of question at this point,” he said, as cited by PAP news agency.
- The Polish leader explained that due to Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which stipulates that an attack on one member state triggers a response from the whole alliance, the bloc would have to join the conflict in Ukraine and fight against Russia if Kiev is admitted now.
- The Polish president declined to predict when exactly Kiev will be able to go through this “door,” but promised that Warsaw will support its neighbor on the path to NATO membership “with all our strength.”
- Writing on social media, the Ukrainian leader called this omission “unprecedented and absurd,” and suggested that “indecisiveness” on the issue was a sign of “weakness” in the alliance.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told the European Parliament last week that “Ukraine has never been closer to a membership in NATO than now” due to the creation of the NATO-Ukraine Council and the removal of the requirement for a Membership Action Plan for Kiev, as agreed in Vilnius. However, he did not give a timeline for accession.
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PRESS RELEASE
State and USAID Offices of Inspector General Sign MOU with National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
On September 1, leaders from the Offices of Inspector General (OIGs) for the Department of State (State), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and Department of Defense (DoD) met with key anti-corruption officials from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), and the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) of Ukraine.
The OIGs and the Ukrainian delegation discussed the importance of the U.S.-Ukraine partnership in combatting the misuse of U.S. assistance. To signify this commitment to transparency and oversight, the leaders of State and USAID OIGs and the Ukrainian NABU delegation signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) that created formal information-sharing agreements and investigative collaboration to safeguard U.S. assistance to Ukraine.
Department of State Acting Inspector General Diana Shaw stated, “State OIG remains dedicated to ensuring transparency and accountability for every dollar of U.S.-taxpayer-funded assistance flowing through the Department of State to Ukraine. The September 1 MOU signing is an important step toward formalizing our shared commitment to rooting out fraud and corruption involving U.S. funds and holding bad actors fully accountable. The key to this commitment is cooperation from Ukrainian anti-corruption partners to share information and, where appropriate, conduct joint investigations. This cooperation will help to preserve the integrity of programs funded through U.S. assistance and stamp out fraud and corruption wherever it is found.”
Nicole Angarella, Acting Deputy Inspector General performing the duties of the Inspector General for USAID OIG, stated, “Oversight of U.S. assistance to Ukraine remains a top priority, and this MOU is yet another tool in our oversight arsenal to prevent corruption and misuse of funds provided to Ukraine by USAID. We will continue to strengthen our relationships with our Ukrainian counterparts and underscore the importance of accountability for those who seek to defraud USAID, the American taxpayers, and the Ukrainian people.”
USAID OIG also has two existing MOUs with Ukraine’s Special Anticorruption Prosecutor and Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation.
Earlier this year, State, USAID, and Department of Defense OIGs published the Joint Strategic Oversight Plan–Ukraine Response that highlights 64 ongoing and planned oversight products and 14 completed products related to the U.S. Ukraine response.
For more information on the three OIGs’ oversight of the U.S.-Ukraine response, visit: https://www.stateoig.gov/
To report fraud, waste, abuse, or corruption in U.S.-funded Ukraine programs, please see the linked OIG Hotline information in English and Ukrainian.
Top Photos: Acting IG Shaw signed an MOU with National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine
Bottom photo: State OIG staff with anti-corruption delegation from Ukraine
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