US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith said on Tuesday that she did not expect the alliance to invite Ukraine to join at a summit in Washington in July, Reuters reported, UNN reported.
"As for this summer's summit, I don't expect the alliance to extend an invitation at this stage," Smith said in response to a question during a telephone conversation with reporters before a meeting of NATO defense ministers on Thursday.
By fighting Russia's invasion, Ukraine has made it clear that its goal is to become a member of a military alliance, the newspaper notes.
"Kyiv and some of its allies within NATO, especially in Eastern Europe, are pushing for a membership invitation, even though they recognize that Ukraine cannot join NATO while it is at war," the article says.
At a summit in Lithuania last year, NATO leaders declared that Ukraine's future lies in the alliance, but did not extend an invitation or set a timeline for accession.
"We have worked very diligently since the Vilnius Summit last year to take a number of steps to continue to help our friends in Ukraine with the necessary reforms in their own country to move closer to Euro-Atlantic integration," Smith said.
"And we continue to focus primarily on supporting them in their current struggle and ensuring their victory on the battlefield," she said.