Rutte: Ukraine was never promised NATO membership as part of peace agreement
Photo: Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General (Getty Images)
NATO countries never promised Ukraine membership in the Alliance as part of any peace agreement with Russia. The primary goal is to prevent another Russian invasion, stated NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during a press conference.
He recalled that at last year’s NATO summit in Washington, allies declared that Ukraine’s membership was "irreversible." However, there was no concrete decision that peace talks with Russia could end with Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration. While such an outcome is possible, it has not been formally agreed upon.
Rutte stressed that the West must ensure Russian President Vladimir Putin does not attempt another attack on Ukraine, calling it a critical priority.
He noted that multiple options exist to guarantee Ukraine’s security but clarified that NATO membership was never pledged as part of a peace deal.
Ukraine's accession to NATO
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently said that Washington considers it unrealistic for Ukraine to join NATO as a result of the peace agreements.
In response, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov reaffirmed that Ukraine’s stance remains unchanged: the country wants to join the Alliance and will pursue that goal.
Ukraine’s NATO accession is considered one of the key security guarantees that could prevent another Russian invasion.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pointed out that for the West, NATO membership would be the "cheapest" security guarantee for Ukraine.
