'NATO allies support fast-track membership for Ukraine'

All NATO Allies, including the UK and France, are backing a plan to grant Ukraine a fast track to NATO membership, similar to the approach offered to Sweden and Finland earlier this year. The issue of the terms for Ukraine’s NATO membership has been a point of division among Allies ahead of the upcoming NATO summit. The UK Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, expressed strong support for Ukraine’s inclusion in NATO without the usual requirement of meeting conditions outlined in a NATO membership action plan (MAP). While France’s Foreign Minister, Catherine Colonna, was more cautious, she acknowledged that circumstances had changed since 2008, when Ukraine was last offered NATO membership on certain conditions. The modernization of Ukraine’s armed forces and their alignment with NATO standards during the ongoing conflict were cited as reasons to dispense with the MAP. It is seen as an alternative to providing a specific membership timetable for Ukraine at the upcoming NATO summit. It is, however, agreed that Ukraine cannot join NATO until the war is over. The potential for relatively immediate NATO membership is considered crucial for Ukraine’s leadership to attract Western investment in its economic recovery. During the Ukraine Recovery conference, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed the importance of Ukraine’s inclusion in NATO, viewing it as a means to protect global peace and security. He also emphasized Ukraine’s potential to become a major source of economic, industrial, and technological growth in Europe once at peace and free from Russian interference. Various speakers at the conference, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, highlighted the need for Russia to contribute to Ukraine’s recovery costs, which the World Bank estimated at $400 billion. However, a preliminary paper from the European Commission suggests that no legally sound approach has been identified to seize frozen Russian sovereign assets without facing potential legal challenges. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .