U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that Ukraine will eventually join NATO because support from member states remains “rock-solid.”
“Ukraine will become a member of NATO, and our objective at the summit is to help build the bridge to membership,” Blinken told reporters in Brussels.
Blinken’s remarks came after a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
“Of course, we believe that Ukraine deserves to join NATO and that it should happen sooner or later,” Kuleba said.
President Putin issues chilling warning against sending Western troops to defend Ukraine
Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke Thursday at a press conference following a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels. Blinken said Ukraine would eventually join NATO. (Joanna Geron, pool photo, via AP)
The two discussed the war between Ukraine and Russia and ways to strengthen Ukraine’s energy sector amid attacks from Moscow.
Ukraine’s possible entry into the 32-party alliance is seen as part of Russia’s reason for invading the country. Sweden officially joined NATO on March 7th.
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) criticized Blinken’s comments, calling them “irresponsible.”
“Ukraine should not join NATO. Inviting NATO during a war is inviting our country to a war,” he wrote on X. “Do we want to have American ground troops in Ukraine? If not, we must oppose the idea of Ukraine joining NATO.” We should join NATO. ”
The alliance is discussing plans to increase military aid to Ukraine as Russia asserts greater control on the battlefield.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba address a group of journalists Thursday after a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council at NATO headquarters in Brussels. (Joanna Geron, pool photo, via AP)
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said before chairing the Alliance’s foreign ministers meeting in Brussels that “assistance to Ukraine does not depend on short-term, voluntary offers, but rather on long-term NATO commitments. “I strongly believe that we should rely more on promises.”
Mr. Blinken will ensure that Ukraine’s allies have what they need to counter Moscow’s aggression.
Meanwhile, additional U.S. aid is being held up by House Republicans.
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Western promises to help Ukraine have been undermined by broken promises. A European promise to provide one million rounds of ammunition has fallen woefully short, and funding for Ukraine’s war-battered economy has been delayed by political infighting in Europe and remains blocked in the United States.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
