Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated on Thursday that NATO should take a larger role in ensuring security in the Black Sea and integrating Ukraine's air and missile defenses with those of its allied members. At the opening of the Black Sea Security Conference held in Bucharest, Kuleba emphasized, "The Black Sea plays a fundamental role in achieving peace and moving towards the future for all of Europe." He added, "Unfortunately, it is also an example of how quickly things can deteriorate if threats are ignored. It is time to turn the Black Sea into what the Baltic Sea has become, making it a sea for NATO."
Kuleba pointed out, "We need to address the shared problem regarding Russia together. For instance, I support the idea of experts integrating Ukrainian air and missile defense systems with those of NATO members in the Baltic and Black Seas."
He noted that the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius represents an opportunity to advance Ukraine's longstanding efforts to join the alliance "to show that the door is not only open but that there is a clear plan regarding when and how Ukraine will join."
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov stated that Ukraine's accession to NATO is the only option to guarantee the country's future security, saying, "We need a system of guarantees that makes aggression from Russia impossible. There is no alternative to Ukraine joining NATO."
In Northern Europe, the security landscape around the Baltic Sea has been reshaped over the past year with Finland and Sweden's decision to apply for NATO membership, making Russia the only country on the Baltic Sea that is not part of the alliance. Ukraine and Georgia's applications for NATO membership could have a similar impact on the Black Sea, as Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey are already members.
