Ukraine's future membership in NATO is linked to the end of the current war. This was stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during a lecture at the Council on Foreign Relations think tank.

According to him, Ukraine's accession is possible if "the fighting is over now."

"If the fighting is over now, we have to be sure that it will really be an end to the war. This means that we must have a framework that will guarantee the security, territorial integrity and respect for Ukraine's borders. Of course, NATO membership is one of the ways to achieve this. There are also certain bilateral agreements. But one way or another, there is a need for guarantees. So, all these things are interconnected: Ukraine's membership in NATO, the cessation of hostilities and ensuring a lasting peace after the war," Stoltenberg said.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">In a conversation with <a href="https://twitter.com/JaneHarmanCA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JaneHarmanCA</a> at CFR today, <a href="https://twitter.com/NATO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NATO</a> Secretary General <a href="https://twitter.com/jensstoltenberg?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jensstoltenberg</a> discussed future NATO membership for Ukraine.<br><br>Watch their full discussion: <a href="https://t.co/frbfjkjW5W">https://t.co/frbfjkjW5W</a> <a href="https://t.co/iVFfpUBlnb">pic.twitter.com/iVFfpUBlnb</a></p>&mdash; Council on Foreign Relations (@CFR_org) <a href="https://twitter.com/CFR_org/status/1704975026917679236?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>