Slow But Steady Progress On Ukraine’s Path Towards NATO And EU Accession As Joint Declarations Get Signed In Athens
On 21 August, as part of his tour around European capitals, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stopped in Athens for a bilateral summit with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The two signed a joint declaration to reiterate their mutual commitment to Ukraine’s efforts to access NATO in the short-term period (Ekathimerini, 2023). At the same time, while stressing the vital nature of Kyiv’s domestic security to ensure stability in the Euro-Atlantic area, the parties expressed their full support for the newly established NATO-Ukraine Council as a forum to further expand cooperation and consolidate Kyiv’s entrance in the Euro-Atlantic family (Interfax Ukraine, 2023). Along these lines, the text of the declaration begins with Greece acknowledging Ukraine’s achievements towards integration with NATO, with special regard to Kyiv’s armed forces’ efforts in the realm of military interoperability (Amna, 2023).