Ukraine is now closer to NATO membership than ever before. And this shows the strategic mistake that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin made by invading the country. This opinion was expressed by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during a broadcast of the Swedish flag raising ceremony at the Alliance's headquarters.


"Ukraine will become a NATO ally. It is not a question of "if" but "when" it will become an ally," he said.


According to the NATO Secretary General, Ukraine is now closer to membership than ever before, and this also demonstrates the big strategic mistake that Russian President Vladimir Putin made when he invaded Ukraine.


"Because, as you remember, his goal was to prevent Ukraine from moving towards NATO and the EU. He demanded that the Alliance make a statement, in fact sign a treaty with Russia that there should be no further expansion of NATO at the expense of any European country. And now he got the opposite. He wanted less NATO, he gets more NATO, more NATO military presence in the eastern part of our Alliance. Finland and Sweden are full members, and Ukraine is closer to NATO membership than ever before," he stated.