Accession was never promised as part of any potential peace deal, bloc chief Mark Rutte has said
Ukraine was never promised NATO membership as part of any peace agreement with Russia, the US-led military bloc’s Secretary-General Mark Rutte has said. He added that the bloc should only ensure a new conflict between Moscow and Kiev will not break out in the future, he added.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Rutte said Kiev’s potential accession had never been tied to resolution of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“We have to make sure that Vladimir Putin never ever tries again to attack Ukraine, that is crucial … but it has never been a promise to Ukraine that as part of [a]peace deal they would be part of NATO,” Rutte said.
Rutte’s statement echoed remarks made by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday ahead of the meeting of the so-called Ukraine Defense Contact Group, in which the US official also dismissed the idea of deploying his country’s troops in the country.
“The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement,” he said, adding that the security guarantees should be “backed by capable European and non-European troops.”
“To be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will not be US troops deployed to Ukraine,” he added.
The latest remarks contrast with statements repeatedly made by NATO leadership during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, on the bloc’s commitment to Kiev’s “irreversible path” towards membership.
While no timeframe was ever articulated by NATO, certain bloc members, Hungary and Slovakia in particular, have openly voiced their opposition to Kiev’s possible accession.
Joining NATO has been a top talking point for pro-Western Ukrainian politicians for decades, yet little to no progress has been made on that path. In 2008, the bloc proclaimed Ukraine and Georgia would eventually join, with Kiev later enshrining the ambition in its constitution and applying for membership in September 2022.
The long-stalled process seemingly picked up after the hostilities between Kiev and Moscow broke out, with the latter naming Ukraine’s NATO aspirations as a cause of the conflict.
