Ukraine Will Become 33rd or 34th NATO Member in the Future, Says NATO Secretary General

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that Ukraine will join the Alliance as its 33rd or 34th member in the future.

Rutte made this remark upon arriving at the NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels on Thursday. His comments followed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's presentation of his Victory Plan, which includes a key goal of receiving an invitation to join NATO.

"At this moment, it seems that Ukraine will be the 33rd member. However, another state may emerge before that. Nonetheless, Ukraine will become a NATO member in the future. That’s what we decided in Washington. The current question is about the timeline," said the NATO Secretary General.

He emphasized that allies are currently focused on efforts to pave the way for Ukraine's membership.

"So if there is a specific question of 'When?', I can't provide an answer right now. However, we are actively working on all these fronts to ensure that, one day, Ukraine truly becomes a NATO member," Rutte concluded.

As NATO discussions progress, Bosnia and Herzegovina is considered as a candidate for membership that could receive an invitation before Ukraine. The Alliance remains committed to supporting Balkan nations in their security efforts, which could enable Bosnia and Herzegovina to join NATO in the future. If Bosnia and Herzegovina were to join first, Ukraine would then become the 34th member of the Alliance.