Ukraine has no alternative to joining NATO, while at the same time it needs new security assurances in cooperation with the EU.

This was the key idea presented by Olena Kondratiuk, Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine at the 17th Annual Kyiv Security Forum “UA: UNITE AGAIN TO DEFEAT THE GLOBAL AGGRESSOR", organized by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Foundation “Open Ukraine”.

“When we talk about NATO, we understand that we have no other security choice. And no matter how much they twist our hands, our negotiating line for peace means membership in the Alliance,” the Deputy Speaker emphasized.

According to her, in three years of full-scale invasion, Ukraine has given NATO Allies an unprecedented chance to prepare. However, in her opinion, this time was ineffectively spent.

“These three years have shown that we lost many opportunities. If from the very first days of the invasion the world had accumulated all its efforts against Russia and provided Ukraine with all the necessary weapons, much could not have happened,” she emphasized.

Olena Kondratiuk also mentioned the weakness of European institutes, unable to adequately respond to challenges: “These lost opportunities are not only weakness of individual leaders, but general indecision stance of European institutes. If Hungary is twisting the hands of the European Union, then we must understand how to respond in a concerted way.”

In her opinion, the decision to establish an international tribunal for the aggressor is an opportunity to demonstrate real unity and responsibility.

Olena Kondratiuk focused specifically on the speed that Russia arms itself: “The NATO Secretary General already admits: in three months Russia produces more weapons than all the Allied countries combined per annum. So, who is actually preparing for war? And what is NATO doing about it?”

Deputy Speaker of the Parliament also emphasized that Ukraine should develop additional security formats: “We should build alliances - with the EU, with the key states: France, Germany, Great Britain, Poland. It is not an alternative to NATO that we need, but an addition to it, to reinforce our capabilities.”

“The path to peace lies only through force. We must be strong on the battlefield - and this will be our main advantage in any negotiations,” she concluded.

The Kyiv Security Forum, founded by Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s “Open Ukraine” foundation, is the main platform in Ukraine to discuss issues of war and peace, national and world security.