Ukraine's unyielding NATO bid: Peace talks exclude membership
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte assured that the decision regarding Ukraine's future membership in the Alliance remains unchanged since the summit in Washington. However, he emphasized that Ukraine's accession to NATO will not be part of any potential peace agreement ending the war.
We decided in Washington that the path of Ukraine into NATO is irreversible. We are building the bridge by everything we're doing with Ukraine, getting Ukraine as interoperable as possible with NATO. But it was never promised to Ukraine that NATO membership will be part of a peace deal, said Rutte in an interview broadcast on Tuesday on Ukrainian television stations.
NATO chief in Odessa. Met with Zelensky
A senior official indicated that the U.S. president remains committed to securing a durable and meaningful peace in Ukraine, one that goes beyond symbolic gestures and aims for a genuine ceasefire and comprehensive agreement. However, he clarified that Ukraine’s potential NATO membership has never been formally tied to the terms of such a deal. Looking ahead, he confirmed that plans for the forthcoming Washington summit remain unchanged.
Asked by a journalist whether Ukraine's membership in NATO remains on the Alliance's agenda, the Secretary General responded briefly: "Yes, of course."
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Odessa on Tuesday – the port city in the south of the country, which, although not under Russian control, has been regularly shelled since the start of the invasion.
Rutte emphasized that NATO will continue to support Ukraine, highlighting the Russian missile attack on Sumy on Palm Sunday, in which 35 civilians were killed.
Putin presented demands
Zelensky reported that he and the NATO chief visited a hospital where wounded soldiers were being treated and medals were presented. In the background of the visit are reports of threats from the Kremlin – according to the Russian "Kommersant," Vladimir Putin demands recognition of the annexation of the occupied territories and threatens an attack on Odessa if refused.
Since 2022, although it only partially controls them, Russia has formally claimed the entire Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions. Crimea was annexed back in 2014.
