Ukraine's accession to NATO in the near future is unlikely, because it means involving the Alliance in a war with Russia.
This was reported by the coordinator of the National Security Council of the White House for strategic communications, John Kirby, in an interview with CNN.
"We believe that NATO is the future of Ukraine. I mean, this is what the Alliance agreed on back in 2008," he said.
At the same time, Kirby noted that Ukraine must implement certain reforms before joining NATO.
"Ukraine needs some reforms right now - good governance, rule of law, political reforms - and we understand that it's hard to work on some of those reforms when you're at war. Of course, they're at war right now. So NATO membership in the near future is unlikely, as it would involve NATO in a war with Russia," he said.
At the same time, Kirby acknowledged the disappointment of President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, who criticized NATO, because Kyiv received a signal that the partners were discussing the wording of the summit without Ukraine on the sidelines.
"Yes, there is frustration, there is a desire to quickly end this war, we understand all of that. Of course, we share many of these concerns," he added.
NATO summit in Vilnius
Ukraine understands that it will not be able to join NATO during the war against Russia, but wants to receive an invitation to join the Alliance at the summit.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken noted that at the summit Ukraine should receive a powerful package of support, including a path to membership in the Alliance.
At the same time, Lithuania's ambassador to NATO, Deividas Matulonis, believes that Ukraine will not receive an invitation. But at the summit, a clearer procedure will be defined under which conditions Ukraine can receive it.
At the same time, White House spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre also stated that Ukraine should implement reforms to meet the standards of NATO member states before joining the Alliance.
