The question is timeline: Rutte says Ukraine will be 33rd or 34th NATO member
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (Vitalii Nosach RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine will eventually join NATO, most likely becoming the next country to be admitted into the alliance, which currently has 32 members, according to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
"Ukraine will be a member of NATO in the future, that is what we decided in Washington. The question is the timeline," he told reporters.
He added that as of now, it seems Ukraine will become the 33rd member. However, he did not rule out the possibility that another country could "move faster," making Ukraine the 34th.
Rutte also told reporters that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy can count on NATO's continued support to put his country in a strong position ahead of potential negotiations with Russia to end the war.
Zelenskyy has presented his victory plan to the Kyiv parliament, outlining his conditions for a potential end to Russia’s invasion. He reaffirmed his refusal to make territorial concessions or engage in any process that would lead to a frozen conflict.
The first point of the plan is an unconditional invitation for Ukraine to join NATO. Zelenskyy is scheduled to visit Brussels during the European Union summit on October 17, where he will brief EU leaders.
At the same time, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur told Bloomberg that the issue of extending a direct invitation to Ukraine continues to cause disagreements within the alliance.
"There are countries who are ready to move faster; there are countries who want to discuss more," Pevkur said.
Also, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said that NATO’s strategy is to provide military aid to Ukraine. According to him, at some point, Kyiv will be able to begin negotiations with Russia on the terms of force.
