As a compromise, the NATO states have now agreed to promise Ukraine not to insist on the usual pre-accession program before the intended admission. “This will turn Ukraine’s accession process from a two-stage process to a one-stage process,” said Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg shortly before the start of the meeting in the Lithuanian capital.
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In addition, NATO already wants to significantly expand cooperation with Ukraine. To this end, the existing NATO-Ukraine Commission will be upgraded to a NATO-Ukraine Council. This should make it possible to discuss key security issues at eye level and also to make decisions together. The commission was set up primarily to discuss reforms needed to join the western military alliance.