The White House Outlines Conditions for Ukraine's NATO Membership

Ukraine must win the war against Russia in order to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This was stated by John Kirby, the National Security Council's Coordinator for Strategic Communications, during a regular press conference for journalists.

“First and foremost, they need to win this war,” Kirby said, commenting on Ukraine's prospects for joining the NATO alliance. According to Kirby, U.S. President Joe Biden continues to believe that Ukraine should become a NATO member in the future.

“The President has stated that he believes in NATO's presence in Ukraine's future. But there is still a lot to be done before they can join the alliance, just as any member must do before joining. Nevertheless, the President firmly believes that NATO has a role in Ukraine's future,” Kirby noted.

Additionally, he added that for Kyiv to join NATO, it must work to root out corruption within Ukraine. “Corruption is a concern, however, any country that wishes to join the alliance must take further actions,” Kirby said.