Scholz: Security guarantees should be different from NATO membership

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Thursday that any future security guarantees for Ukraine provided by the West should differ from the status of European members of the North Atlantic Alliance.

According to Reuters, Scholz said this at a press conference following the summit of the European Political Community in Moldova.

"Given the current situation, membership (of Ukraine in NATO - ed.) is out of the question... We should all focus on how we, as citizens, can support Ukraine," Scholz said.

Answering the question about possible security guarantees for Ukraine, Scholz added:

"They have to be designed in such a way that they provide Ukraine with the necessary security against the threat of attack, that they stabilize Ukraine at the same time... and of course, it is always part of a security guarantee that it is taken seriously."

Zelenskyy: The best security guarantee is NATO, but it is needed while Ukraine is not in the Alliance.

Speaking to reporters, French President Emmanuel Macron supported "stronger, concrete, very clear security guarantees" for Ukraine, adding that he would hold talks on the issue with Scholz in Potsdam on June 7.

Author - Olena Madiak, 02/06/2023