Policy Voices | Bucharest Summit was not NATOs finest hour, says former NATO chief
In today\u2019s episode, host Catarina Vila Nova speaks with Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, former secretary-general of NATO. According to Scheffer, as long as Russia is engaging in war with Ukraine, Ukraine has no chance of joining the military alliance. This means no formal invitation to join in the upcoming NATO\u2019s July Summit in Washington. \n\nThe former NATO chief spoke candidly about Ukraine\u2019s slim chances of joining the military alliance that were first put on the table in 2008, during the Bucharest Summit, when Scheffer was then NATO\u2019s chief. Looking back on that period, Scheffer admits that it wasn\u2019t \u201cNATO\u2019s finest hour\u201d because it made a promise to Ukraine that it knew it could not deliver. \n\nScheffer now warns the European Union to not follow the same path of NATO as talks to kickstart formal negotiations over Ukraine joining the EU are set to start as soon as next month.\n\nIf you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail. Our address is press@friendsofeurope.org.