The next nation to join NATO may not be Ukraine, the military bloc’s secretary general Mark Rutte told reporters on Thursday, commenting on Kiev’s request for an immediate invitation.
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky announced on Wednesday that getting a formal call into the US-led organization is a key part of his ‘victory plan’ against Russia. NATO’s policy since 2008 has been that eventually Ukraine would join its ranks, and despite Moscow’s objections, but it has declined to provide any specific timeline.
Finland and Sweden joined NATO as the 31st and 32nd members in April 2023 and March 2024, respectively. Speaking to the media ahead of a meeting of defense ministers in Brussels, Rutte said Ukraine is not guaranteed to be the 33rd, as expected, and that another candidate may “pop in front” in the line.
”But Ukraine will be a member of NATO in the future. That is what we decided in Washington,” he added, referring to the decisions made at a US-hosted summit of NATO leaders in July, at which the Ukrainian path to accession was declared “irreversible”.