In the midst of yesterday’s momentous events in Moscow, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy went into a mad rush for speedy Ukrainian membership in NATO. Ukraine is already a de facto member of the alliance, he argued. “Today, Ukraine is applying to make it de jure under a procedure consistent with our significance for the protection of our entire community.” But his demand didn’t fly—at least not at this point.
At the White House, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said this was a bad time to talk about Ukrainian membership in NATO. “The United States has been clear for decades that we support an open-door policy for NATO. Any decision on NATO membership is between the 30 Allies and the countries aspiring to join,” he said during a White House press briefing. “Right now, our view is that the best way for us to support Ukraine is through practical, on-the-ground support in Ukraine, and that the process in Brussels should be taken up at a different time.”
