NATO denies Ukraine's membership as not tied to the peace deal
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 to end 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, meets with Zelensky
A senior official indicated that the U.S. president remains committed to securing a durable and meaningful peace in Ukraine 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.
When asked by a journalist if Ukraine's membership in NATO remains on the Alliance's agenda, the Secretary General responded concisely: "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, 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 presents demands
Zelensky reported that, along with the NATO chief, he visited a hospital where wounded soldiers are 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 is demanding recognition of the annexation of the occupied territories and threatens an attack on Odessa if refused.
Since 2022, Russia has formally claimed the entire Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions, although it only partially controls them in reality. Crimea was annexed back in 2014.
