Ukraine won't be invited to NATO in The Hague - Lithuanian FM
Photo: Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine).
Ukraine is unlikely to receive an invitation to join NATO at next week's summit in The Hague. This issue is not on the agenda, according to Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys.
"This issue is certainly not on the NATO agenda and nobody has formulated an expectation that there will be an invitation in The Hague, nor have we heard that from the Ukrainians themselves," he said.
According to the Lithuanian minister, there are no expectations that there will be innovative decisions either at the Washington summit or at the meeting in The Hague.
The Lithuanian foreign minister believes that it is important to keep the summit focused on Ukraine and emphasize that NATO countries and Kyiv, which is fighting Moscow's aggression, are in the same security space.
Budrys also said that Lithuania would emphasize the unity of the Alliance and the importance of the US role in collective deterrence and defense, and would focus on Ukraine and the issue of a direct threat from Russia.
According to the minister, an important issue in The Hague will be increasing defense spending, as U.S. President Donald Trump is pressuring allies to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP. The conflict between Iran and Israel will also be among the topics discussed.
Ukraine's Accession to NATO
During Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine took a step towards joining NATO by applying for accelerated membership in the fall of 2022.
NATO emphasizes that the door is open for Ukraine, but accession during the war is impossible. And US President Donald Trump has rejected the possibility of Ukraine's membership in the Alliance altogether.
Pentagon chief Pete Haggett called Ukraine's membership in NATO unrealistic as a possible security guarantee to end the war.
On June 24-25, the NATO Summit will take place in The Hague, Netherlands. The summit will also include a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been invited to the summit in The Hague.
