NATO will Postpone Ukraine’s Membership Due to Lack of Consensus Among Allies, Says Stoltenberg

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced today that Ukraine’s accession to NATO is being postponed due to the absence of consensus among the Alliance’s member countries. Speaking ahead of the NATO summit in Washington, Stoltenberg emphasized that while Ukraine is expected to join NATO eventually, it is premature to specify a timeline for its membership.

When asked about the main reason for the delay, Stoltenberg stated, “To invite a new country to NATO, we need consensus. All member countries agree that Ukraine will become a NATO member, but it is too early to say when exactly this will happen.”

He also noted that Ukraine is making significant progress towards membership through concrete actions and that the wording regarding Ukraine’s accession will be included in NATO’s membership declaration, which is set to be approved today.

Ukraine has strengthened its cooperation with NATO since the annexation of Crimea and the start of Russian aggression in the Donbas region in 2014. The goal of achieving full NATO membership is embedded in Ukraine’s Constitution.

In July 2023, a year after the full-scale Russian invasion began, NATO member countries eased the process for Ukraine to join the bloc, though Kyiv has not yet been officially invited to join the Alliance.

During this year’s summit, it is expected that NATO representatives will propose a “bridge” to membership for Ukraine.

The NATO summit is being held in Washington, D.C. from July 10-11, bringing together leaders and representatives from all member countries to discuss key issues and future strategies for the Alliance.