Vance says Ukraine should not join NATO
Photo: JD Vance (Getty Images)
US Vice President JD Vance said Ukraine should not join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
During the interview with 2WAY TONIGHT, the host asked Vance, in the context of Ukraine, whether a partner country was the same as an ally, or whether these were less close relations between states.
In response, the vice president said that there was no formal alliance between the US and Ukraine, adding that Kyiv should not join NATO. Cooperation between the countries would continue.
"We don't have a formal alliance as far as I know with Ukraine. They're not in NATO. I don't think that they should be in NATO. I think that they're a country, a very admirable country, a beautiful country with a lot of amazing people. We're gonna work together on some things, but also we're gonna be opposite on some things too," he said.
During the interview, he also said that Ukraine should stop attacking Russian energy facilities (likely referring to oil refineries).
Ukraine and NATO
In August, Ukraine's ambassador to the UK, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, said that he did not see prospects for Ukraine joining NATO under the alliance's current development model. He stressed that Ukraine needs the technologies and military capabilities of NATO countries, and that future security guarantees could be linked to new defense alliances.
In September, NATO countries officially recognized Ukraine as a joint contributor to Euro-Atlantic security at the leaders' level for the first time. According to Ukraine's Head of Mission to NATO, Olena Hetmanchuk, this decision opens up new opportunities for support from allies.
