9 NATO Nations Back Ukraine Membership, Sustained Military Aid

The presidents of nine NATO countries from Central and Eastern Europe issued a joint statement on Sunday (Monday, Oct. 3, 2022, in Manila) condemning Russia's annexation of Ukrainian territories and calling on NATO to significantly increase military assistance to Ukraine, Mariya Knight reported for CNN.

Photo Insert: The presidents of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Slovakia, and Romania expressed their firm support for "the decision of the 2008 Bucharest NATO Summit regarding the future membership of Ukraine in the Alliance."

In a strongly-worded statement, the leaders of these countries said they visited Kyiv during the war and witnessed with their own eyes the effects of Russian aggression.

“We reiterate our support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. We do not recognize and will never recognize Russian attempts to annex any Ukrainian territory,” they stressed.

The presidents of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Slovakia, and Romania expressed their firm support for "the decision of the 2008 Bucharest NATO Summit regarding the future membership of Ukraine in the Alliance."

“We support Ukraine in its defense against Russia's invasion, demand Russia to immediately withdraw from all the occupied territories, and encourage all Allies to substantially increase their military aid to Ukraine,” the statement continued.

The statement also called on “all those who commit crimes of aggression” to be held accountable and brought to justice.

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