NATO leader dismisses Ukrainian membership as part of peace agreement
Kiev could join the military bloc “one day,” according to Mark Rutte, the NATO secretary general. He stated that Ukraine was never assured NATO membership as part of any potential resolution to its conflict with Russia during a surprise visit...
TroibNews 
Kiev could join the military bloc “one day,” according to Mark Rutte, the NATO secretary general. He stated that Ukraine was never assured NATO membership as part of any potential resolution to its conflict with Russia during a surprise visit to Ukraine on Tuesday, where he spoke with MI Ukraina.
Rutte emphasized that while Ukraine’s Western supporters have indicated that it would “one day” become a member of NATO, “no one promised Ukraine that NATO membership would be part of the peace agreement.”
Russia has consistently cited Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO, which it views as a hostile entity, as one of the justifications for initiating its military campaign in 2022. The Kremlin has demanded Ukrainian neutrality as a crucial precondition for any peace arrangement, alongside demilitarization, denazification, and acknowledgment of territorial realities. Despite this, Ukraine's President Vladimir Zelensky has maintained that any agreement must include NATO membership or “NATO-like security guarantees.”
Regarding NATO's support for Ukraine, Rutte declared that the nation's route to NATO is “irreversible and nothing can change that,” although he did not specify a timeline for this process. His remarks differ from comments made by former US President Donald Trump, who recently expressed skepticism about Zelensky’s ambitions for NATO membership. “He wants to be a member of NATO. Well, he was never going to be a member of NATO,” Trump remarked, adding that he “understands” Russia’s concerns about NATO's proximity to its borders.
In a previous interview, Rutte concurred with Bloomberg when asked if Trump had effectively removed the question of Ukraine's NATO membership from consideration in US-Russia peace discussions.
Rutte assured that NATO would continue its support for Ukraine during and after any ceasefire agreement. He mentioned the “coalition of the willing,” comprising various European nations focused on sustaining military aid to Ukraine and potentially deploying troops there for peacekeeping purposes post-conflict. Rutte noted that NATO is involved in this coalition “as an adviser” and is “gently guiding” its direction.
He also indicated that the coalition is working on keeping Ukraine's armed forces operational after an eventual deal is finalized. NATO supports the notion of sending troops to Ukraine as part of future security guarantees, but only once a ceasefire is established and in accordance with peace deal terms.
Moscow has historically opposed the presence of Western troops in Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently asserted that discussions surrounding the deployment of peacekeepers are, in fact, efforts by Western powers to reinforce their anti-Russian presence in Ukraine rather than striving for a genuine resolution.
Aarav Patel for TROIB News
Rutte emphasized that while Ukraine’s Western supporters have indicated that it would “one day” become a member of NATO, “no one promised Ukraine that NATO membership would be part of the peace agreement.”
Russia has consistently cited Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO, which it views as a hostile entity, as one of the justifications for initiating its military campaign in 2022. The Kremlin has demanded Ukrainian neutrality as a crucial precondition for any peace arrangement, alongside demilitarization, denazification, and acknowledgment of territorial realities. Despite this, Ukraine's President Vladimir Zelensky has maintained that any agreement must include NATO membership or “NATO-like security guarantees.”
Regarding NATO's support for Ukraine, Rutte declared that the nation's route to NATO is “irreversible and nothing can change that,” although he did not specify a timeline for this process. His remarks differ from comments made by former US President Donald Trump, who recently expressed skepticism about Zelensky’s ambitions for NATO membership. “He wants to be a member of NATO. Well, he was never going to be a member of NATO,” Trump remarked, adding that he “understands” Russia’s concerns about NATO's proximity to its borders.
In a previous interview, Rutte concurred with Bloomberg when asked if Trump had effectively removed the question of Ukraine's NATO membership from consideration in US-Russia peace discussions.
Rutte assured that NATO would continue its support for Ukraine during and after any ceasefire agreement. He mentioned the “coalition of the willing,” comprising various European nations focused on sustaining military aid to Ukraine and potentially deploying troops there for peacekeeping purposes post-conflict. Rutte noted that NATO is involved in this coalition “as an adviser” and is “gently guiding” its direction.
He also indicated that the coalition is working on keeping Ukraine's armed forces operational after an eventual deal is finalized. NATO supports the notion of sending troops to Ukraine as part of future security guarantees, but only once a ceasefire is established and in accordance with peace deal terms.
Moscow has historically opposed the presence of Western troops in Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently asserted that discussions surrounding the deployment of peacekeepers are, in fact, efforts by Western powers to reinforce their anti-Russian presence in Ukraine rather than striving for a genuine resolution.
Aarav Patel for TROIB News
