LONDON (Reuters) – Britain would support whatever Ukraine decides to do on its ambition to join NATO, junior British defence minister James Heappey said on Monday.
“If Ukraine decides that it is going to offer that it won’t become a NATO member, we support that – that’s for the Ukrainians to decide,” he told Sky when asked about comments by the Ukrainian ambassador to Britain who suggested such a deal may be possible.
“Similarly, if Ukraine wanted to reserve its position and say that in the future it may want to join NATO, we would support that too because that’s what sovereignty is and that’s what we support.”
A spokesman for Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the NATO and EU membership aspirations were enshrined in its constitution and remained an absolute priority.
(Reporting by Muvija M. Writing by William James; Editing by Kate Holton)
