Ukraine’s security and defense forces boosted with implementation of 18 new NATO standards

Between December 2023 and January 2024, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, armed forces, and other security and defense sectors adopted an additional 18 NATO standards.

The press service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported this.

What is the problem?

The Ukrainian army must meet all NATO criteria, so it must be changed for full interoperability with partners.

"Ukraine has chosen its path: to join the Alliance. That is why NATOification is one of the main priorities of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine," Defense Minister Rustem Umierov emphasized.

What is the solution?

Among the standards introduced as part of the Goals of the Ukraine-NATO partnership:

• Standards for the protection of troops (forces) of Ukraine's armed forces;
• The Naval Forces receive communication, information systems, and transport support training.
• As a matter of initiative, Ukraine introduced standards related to navigation and hydrographic support, diving activities, fuel, and lubricants.

How does it work?

In total, 315 NATO standards have been implemented in the Ministry of Defense, Ukraine's armed forces, and other components of the security and defense sector:

• 192 (88% of the planned) – within the framework of the Ukraine-NATO Partnership Goals, which are the primary standards of the Alliance;
• 123 – in an initiative manner, implemented by Ukraine outside of the Partnership Goals;

There are 1,135 standards in the Alliance – almost 28% of the total number have already been implemented in the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine.

According to Deputy Minister of Defense Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk, this is more than is accepted in some NATO member states that joined during the last wave of expansion of the Alliance.

The Deputy Minister also added that in 2024, 50 more NATO standards are planned to be introduced in the security sector.

For reference:

On September 30, 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky, Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk, and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal signed Ukraine's application for accelerated accession to NATO.

Already this year, a summit of NATO countries took place in Vilnius on July 11 and 12, one of the main topics of which was Ukraine.

In the final communique of the summit, published on the Alliance's website, the heads of state and government of the North Atlantic Alliance recognized Ukraine's progress on the path of Euro-Atlantic integration. They confirmed that Ukraine's future lies with NATO.

In addition, despite the full-scale aggression of Russia and the daily challenges of war, the Ministry of Defense continues to develop professional education in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The DEEP program of the North Atlantic Alliance, through which 12 thousand servicemen of our army have already passed, helps him in this.

In general, three things are essential for Ukraine to join NATO:

• civil democratic control,
• transparency of procedures,
• joint planning of military operations.

By the end of the year, Kyiv plans to implement 30-35% of the Alliance's standards.