Presidential aide: there are some decisions on conditions for Ukraine's NATO accession

Polish President Andrzej Duda's aide and Head of the International Policy Bureau Marcin Przydacz went to Washington for talks with White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan. Among the topics discussed was the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius.

"We are on the home stretch when it comes to negotiating proper documents, proper decisions that are to be taken at the NATO summit in Vilnius," Przydacz said at a press conference in front of the White House.

He added the talks with Sullivan pertained mainly to the situation on the front line in Ukraine and the internal situation in Russia, especially in the context of Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and Belarus.

Przydacz also informed that some decisions regarding the conditions for Ukraine's NATO accession have been already made - including when this would happen.

"This issue is being discussed on the NATO level. We all remember 2008 and discussions regarding the beginning of Ukraine's NATO accession process. Today, this discussion is on a whole new level, keeping in mind the mistakes made in Bucharest (during the NATO summit at which Georgia and Ukraine were to receive a NATO Membership Action Plan, MAP in short - edit.). Had the decision regarding the MAP been taken then, maybe the invasion into Georgia and the Crimea would not hhave happened," he explained.

"We must not make the same mistakes this time and we are working on it," he added. "There are certain directional decisions here, for instance, relating to the functioning of the special NATO-Ukraine Council, but also regarding the conditions under which Ukraine would join (NATO - edit.) and when it would happen. What we are working on is making such progress, certain steps forward," he said.

Przydacz also said that he and Sullivan had both underscored the high quality of relations between Poland and the United States.

"We have agreed with Jake Sullivan that Polish-American relations are in very good condition, which is also attested by the recent direct relations between our presidents," he added. The aide stressed that Joe Biden's two visits to Poland in less than 12 months underscored "the role Poland plyas today in international politics and security policy". "This is what I heard today here in the White House."

"We continue diplomatic efforts on various levels in order to work out crucial decisions for the NATO Vilnius summit. What's crucial for us is further strengthening of the NATO eastern flank, further adaption of NATO to current challenges and continuation of defence and deterrence of Russia, which has been named a direct threat to the security of the whole Alliance," Przydacz said.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said at a press conference on Friday the ultimate security guarantee for Poland and states bordering Belarus is Article five of NATO.

"We have the ultimate security guarantee for Poland and the Baltic states, and it's Article Five of NATO and we are and we intend to defend every single inch of NATO territory. We've also put our money where our mouth is in terms of enhanced U.S. deployments in both Poland and the Baltic states, as well as Romania and other eastern flank allies," he said.

"I had the opportunity this morning to meet with my counterpart from Poland, the Polish National Security Advisor, the first and main topic of conversation was the evolving threat from Belarus. Both this question of whether Wagner will ultimately end up there, which by the way, is still very much an open question, and the assertions about potential deployments of nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus and the role of Belarus in, and complicity of Belarus in Russia's aggression in Ukraine. These are all things that we have been taking account of going back to the start of this conflict," Sullivan added.

NATO's article 5 states the principle of collective defense, meaning "an attack against one ally is considered as an attack against all allies".