Ukraine unlikely to join NATO anytime soon – Rutte
Kyiv • UNN
The NATO Secretary General stated that there are no prerequisites for Ukraine's rapid membership. The Alliance is currently focused on analyzing war experience and strengthening defense.
The issue of Ukraine's accession to NATO currently remains politically complex, so a quick decision should not be expected. At the same time, the Alliance is actively analyzing the experience of the Russian-Ukrainian war to further strengthen collective security. This was stated by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during a discussion at the Ronald Reagan Institute, UNN reports.
According to Rutte, the topic of Ukraine's NATO membership remains on the agenda, but there are currently no political prerequisites for its rapid implementation.
"I don't think Ukraine will join NATO anytime soon," he said.
The Secretary General explained that the main obstacle is political factors, not military or technical criteria. At the same time, the Alliance continues to support Ukraine and simultaneously analyzes the experience of the full-scale war.
He noted that Russia's war against Ukraine has already significantly influenced NATO's approaches to security, defense, and military planning. In particular, this concerns a re-evaluation of the role of modern technologies, unmanned systems, and the adaptability of armies to new types of threats.
According to Rutte, these conclusions are used to strengthen the Alliance's defense capabilities and prepare for potential future challenges.
At the same time, he emphasized that NATO's support for Ukraine remains unchanged, despite the complexity of political decisions regarding membership.