During a discussion at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation in the United States, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte revealed a list of countries that currently do not support Ukraine’s accession to the North Atlantic Alliance.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, and the USA – Position on Ukraine’s Membership
According to Rutte, at the NATO summit in Washington in 2024, held to mark the alliance’s 75th anniversary, allies agreed that Ukraine is on an “irreversible path” to membership. However, he noted that the integration process is being hindered by several states, including Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, and the United States. Thus, the issue of inviting Ukraine to NATO is not currently being considered at an official level.
“At the NATO summit in Washington (2024), when the alliance celebrated its 75th anniversary, it was agreed that Ukraine has an irreversible path to NATO. But the fact is that several countries are holding back this process – among them Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, and the United States. Therefore, I do not think this issue is currently on the table,” he said in response to a question from former Ukrainian Ambassador to the USA Oksana Markarova.
Security Guarantees for Ukraine and Its Role in the Region
Rutte emphasized the importance of discussing the concept of security guarantees for Ukraine, as he believes that rapid accession to NATO is currently politically impossible. He stressed that this is a realistic assessment of the current situation, and allies are working on how to ensure sustainable security for Ukraine to avoid a possible renewed attack from Russia even after a prolonged ceasefire.
He also noted Ukraine’s significant contribution to the drone defense of countries facing attacks from Iran, emphasizing that Ukraine is strengthening its role not only for its own security but also for the stability of the entire Middle Eastern region.
According to the decisions made at the Washington Summit in 2024, Ukraine officially remains on the path to NATO membership. At the same time, full consensus within the alliance regarding an immediate invitation to Kyiv has not yet been reached. Earlier, Mark Rutte stated that membership would only be possible when the appropriate conditions mature and allies reach an agreement.