Ukrainians and Georgians can qualify for NATO

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says only Georgians and Ukrainians can make a decision over their prospective membership in the alliance “if the NATO 28 member states decide to admit them”.

Meanwhile, he told the Swiss newspaper Le Temps that “there are no guarantees and assurance that the alliance will be expanded.”

In answer to the question of whether it is time to reject the idea of accepting Georgia and Ukraine into NATO, Secretary General replied by saying, "It would be extremely dangerous. If NATO starts to say that it is ready to close the door for countries such as Ukraine or Georgia in order to ease relations with Russia, we will face an unacceptable situation: the restoration of spheres of influence, where large countries make decisions in the name of the small countries.

“I want to emphasize that NATO is a reliable partner of Georgia, with which we have open and honest dialogue,” Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Gen. Petr Pavel, said in Tbilisi at the end of the last week.

He praised the ongoing reforms and welcomed the readiness of Georgia to improve interoperability of its armed forces with the NATO forces.

Georgia decided long ago to become a member of NATO, yet despite consistent praise of Georgia's reforms, the country was not given even a Membership Action Plan.

Georgia and Ukraine will have to overcome Russia's influence and the moves to block their admittance in NATO. And the organization if it genuinely wants and needs these two countries to join NATO has to more efficiently and consistently put pressures on Moscow and ignore its imperialistic ambitions.