NATO responds to Pentagon chief's statements on Ukraine's membership in Alliance
Illustrative photo: NATO does not rule out Ukraine's accession to the Alliance (Getty Images)
Statements by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth do not rule out Ukraine's future NATO membership. It is about the fact that the issue of Euro-Atlantic integration will not be part of negotiations between Kyiv, Washington, and Moscow, a NATO official told journalists on condition of anonymity.
He noted that the decision on Ukraine's NATO membership will be made when the right time comes and the necessary reforms are implemented. The position on this issue has not changed.
"Yesterday's discussion (Hegseth's statements – ed.) was very clearly related to this. So, NATO membership is not necessarily something that should be negotiated with Russia," the official added.
According to him, the US defense secretary's statement does not contradict or rule out Ukraine's NATO membership "at a certain time." Hegseth meant that Ukraine's accession to the Alliance "is not part of the negotiations" between the Ukrainian, American, and Russian authorities.
He assured that NATO's support for Ukraine will continue, and all relevant NATO structures are operating according to the previous plan.
What Hegseth said
Yesterday, on February 12, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated during a Ramstein format meeting that the United States does not consider Ukraine's NATO membership a "realistic" outcome of peace negotiations.
Following this, US President Donald Trump confirmed that he views Ukraine's NATO membership as unlikely or impractical.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius criticized these statements, calling them "concessions to Russia even before negotiations begin."
