Rutte stresses long-term NATO prospects for Ukraine despite no membership in current peace deal

In a recent speech at the Warsaw School of Economics, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed that Ukraine will not receive NATO membership as part of the peace negotiations aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict.

However, he emphasized that this decision does not rule out Ukraine's potential future membership in the alliance.

“We have never promised Ukraine that it would become a NATO member in the context of peace negotiations, but we need to distinguish that from the future, from what will happen in the long term,” Rutte explained, Caliber.Az reports, referring to foreign media.

He further noted that at the recent NATO summit in Washington, the alliance confirmed the "irreversible path" for Ukraine's accession to NATO.

Rutte also highlighted that cooperation between NATO and Ukraine remains "very intensive," signaling continued collaboration between the two despite the ongoing conflict.

In addition, Rutte expressed optimism regarding ongoing negotiations between the United States and Russia, describing the process of conflict resolution as a "phased" approach. He expressed confidence in the United States' ability to engage in productive dialogue with Russia.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently acknowledged that Western countries, including the United States, are not yet ready to offer Ukraine NATO membership. On March 20, Zelensky stated, "Kyiv very much wants NATO membership, as it would solve many problems," but added that the West's stance remains unchanged for now.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha further underscored Ukraine's firm position, stating that the country will not recognize the loss of its territories, accept rejection from NATO or the European Union, or agree to any limitations on the size of its armed forces in a potential peace agreement.

Additionally, US National Security Adviser Michael Waltz on March 16 described Ukraine’s NATO membership as unlikely, noting that this view is shared by not only the United States but also other NATO member states.

By Tamilla Hasanova