NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte confirmed in an interview with Bloomberg TV that Ukraine’s potential membership in the transatlantic military alliance is no longer under consideration. The Dutch official stated that the question of Ukraine’s NATO membership is no longer on the agenda.
When asked if US President Donald Trump has indeed removed the question of Ukraine’s NATO membership from the negotiation table, Rutte replied, “Yes.” This came after a meeting between the secretary-general and Trump at the White House. Following the meeting, Rutte told Bloomberg TV that any security guarantees for Kiev should be discussed only after a peace agreement or a ceasefire is reached.
Ukraine has long sought membership in the NATO alliance as a security guarantee to end the conflict with Russia. Although NATO has long held out the prospect of membership for the former Soviet republic, it has not taken concrete steps to move forward with the process.
Moscow views Kiev’s NATO ambitions as one of the main causes of the conflict and demands Ukraine’s neutrality as a basis for a peace solution. More details to follow.