May 24, 2021 H.E. Jens Stoltenberg Secretary General of NATO Your Excellency: Re: NATO Membership Action Plan for Ukraine The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) would like to take this opportunity to thank you for standing firm with Ukraine in defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity. In recent months, the international community witnessed unprecedented escalation of Russian aggression including buildup of Russian troops at Ukraine’s borders and materiel movement into Russian-occupied Crimea and Russia-Ukraine border regions. For years, Russia has waged wars of aggression against Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. In blatant disregard for the values of democracy and the rules-based international community, Russia seeks to destabilize Europe through disinformation and acts of aggression carried out by Russian agents in NATO member states, such as Czech Republic and Bulgaria. To counter this growing threat from Russia, UWC joins the Bucharest Nine states in calling for enhanced NATO presence in Eastern Europe and greater security in the Black Sea region. In advance of the NATO Summit of Allied leaders, the Ukrainian World Congress calls upon you and NATO member states to: - reaffirm article 23 of the 2008 Bucharest Summit declaration regarding Ukraine’s and Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations for membership in NATO; - within the context of a renewed approach to the Open door policy, accelerate work on a NATO Membership Action Plan for Ukraine with a view to the december 2021 NAC Ministerial. A clear message of support for Ukraine’s MAP will serve to deter further Russian aggression. Furthermore, it will reaffirm NATO’s commitment TORONTO – KYIV – BRUSSELS – NEW YORK Head Office: 145 Evans Avenue, Suite 207, Toronto, Ontario M8Z 5X8 Canada E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.ukrainianworldcongress.org to Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and Euro-Atlantic choice of the Ukrainian people as enshrined in Ukraine’s Constitution. Russia’s belligerence is a direct threat to the very principles for which the NATO Alliance stands. NATO Leaders Summit in June is the time to reinforce commitments with concrete actions. Yours sincerely, UKRAINIAN WORLd CONGRESS Paul Grod President TORONTO – KYIV – BRUSSELS – NEW YORK Head Office: 145 Evans Avenue, Suite 207, Toronto, Ontario M8Z 5X8 Canada E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.ukrainianworldcongress.org .