Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak and NATO Secretary General in 2009-2014, former Prime Minister of Denmark Anders Fogh Rasmussen held a regular online meeting of the International Working Group on Security Issues and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine.
The interlocutors discussed our country's progress towards integration into the Euro-Atlantic security system and the necessary steps to achieve this.
"Inviting Ukraine to join NATO will not lead to an escalation of the war; on the contrary, the absence of an invitation will instigate new escalations. It is important to understand that Putin has already crossed the 'red lines' he is the new Hitler after World War II. There are no rational arguments for him that will make him stop," noted Andriy Yermak.
The Head of the Presidential Office also briefed the group on the situation at the front and emphasized the importance of the U.S. Congress's prompt approval of the decision to support Ukraine.
Andriy Yermak also spoke about preparations for the first Global Peace Summit to be held in Switzerland.
"Nobody discusses the very idea of the summit anymore; the discussions are about the format, the outcomes, and the documents that can be agreed upon at the summit. And, of course, our fundamental stance is that only countries that respect international law should be present at the inaugural peace summit, which is why Russia will not be invited," he noted.
NATO Secretary General in 2009-2014, former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen emphasized the importance of further military support for Ukraine.
"Our responsibility is that we are determined to guarantee Ukraine's victory. Otherwise, we risk jeopardizing not just Ukraine but the entire world. Putin insists that this war cannot be won. We cannot accept these Kremlin calls. We must fight back with a bold proposal, which is the goal of our group," said Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
He added that the members of the International Working Group should use all available tools to ensure that Ukraine receives everything it needs to protect civilians and soldiers on the front line. Anders Fogh Rasmussen also emphasized the importance of continuing work at the level of NATO member states to achieve positive decisions at the Alliance's summit to be held in Washington.
All the attendees spoke in detail about the group's future work and support for Ukraine.
On the Ukrainian side, the meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Ihor Zhovkva, and advisors to the Head of the Presidential Office Dariia Zarivna and Oleksandr Bevz.