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Washington [US], September 12: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Ukraine's path to NATO membership is irreversible but also stressed the need to implement relevant reforms in the country.
Speaking at a press conference during his visit to Kyiv on September 11, the US Secretary of State emphasized: " NATO allies came together (to the summit in Washington DC) to make clear that Ukraine 's path to NATO membership is irreversible and now Ukraine is on that path."
According to Ukrinform, Secretary of State Blinken also recalled that for the first time in NATO history , a command was established with the aim of helping Ukraine move towards joining the alliance, and that command has become operational.
"Everything is progressing and it is important that in the meantime Ukraine continues to move forward with the necessary reforms," the diplomat noted.
Mr Blinken has mentioned Ukraine joining NATO before, but the alliance's main position is that it will only happen if allies agree and certain conditions are met. Some countries are reluctant to join while Ukraine is in conflict with Russia.
Mr. Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy visited Kyiv on September 11 and announced new support but did not agree to let Ukraine use aid weapons for long-range attacks on Russian soil, according to Reuters.
"We discussed long-range strikes and a number of other issues. As I said from the beginning, I will bring that discussion back to Washington to brief the president on what I heard," Mr. Blinken said.
Mr Lammy said he was listening carefully and there were discussions on a range of issues, including the military equipment Ukraine needed to win. The British foreign secretary suggested those discussions could continue for several more weeks, which may disappoint the Ukrainians.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on social media afterwards: "It is important that all of Ukraine's arguments were heard and that concerns long-range weapons, supplying frontline brigades and the overall strategy of moving towards peace ."
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper