Stoltenberg Excludes Ukraine's NATO Membership Amid Ongoing Conflict

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has ruled out Ukraine's membership in the alliance during the peak of the ongoing conflict but reiterated that the door remains open for Kyiv.

“All allies agree that Ukraine should become a NATO member. Neither any non-allied country nor Ukraine itself imagines that Ukraine could join the alliance while in the midst of war. All allies are talking about the fact that the doors of the alliance are open. We have demonstrated this by integrating Finland and Sweden,” Stoltenberg said in an interview with France 5, excerpts from which were released by the alliance's press service on Friday.

In response to questions about possible guarantees for Ukraine that will be discussed at the Vilnius summit, he pointed to the debates within the alliance aimed at preventing a recurrence of the conflict. “We have many discussions focused on ensuring that history does not repeat itself. Therefore, our commitments to Ukraine should be of a long-term nature,” the NATO Secretary General added.