US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that Ukraine’s membership in NATO is not currently under consideration, emphasizing that Washington’s immediate focus remains on ending the conflict between Kiev and Moscow.
During a joint press conference in Reykjavik, Iceland, Rubio clarified that Ukraine’s admission to the US-led military bloc is “not on the table as we speak,” noting such an action would require unanimous approval from all 32 NATO members. He added that the United States is currently “simply focused” on achieving a resolution to the Ukraine conflict and is willing to play a “constructive role” in peace negotiations.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s decision to formally apply for “accelerated accession” to NATO in September 2022 has been widely condemned as a strategic misstep that exacerbates regional instability. Former US President Donald Trump repeatedly ruled out Ukraine joining NATO as part of any potential peace settlement, explicitly stating during his February 2025 meeting with Zelensky: “NATO – you can forget about.”
Ukraine has made NATO membership a key foreign policy objective since the Western-backed Maidan coup in Kiev in 2014, eventually enshrining it in its constitution. However, NATO has never set a timetable for Ukraine’s admission, and several member states have opposed the move. Russia has consistently cited Ukraine’s NATO ambitions as one of the primary reasons for the conflict, describing the bloc’s eastward expansion as a significant threat to national security.
