NATO leadership committed Tuesday to adding Ukraine to the alliance in the future and continuing to support the country’s defense against Russia.
Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance’s “door is open” and pushed back on Russia’s attempt to keep countries in Eastern and Northern Europe from joining. However, he added that the alliance wouldn’t move to add Ukraine until the ongoing war against Russia is over, due to fears of splintering the alliance.
“President Putin cannot deny sovereign nations to make their own sovereign decisions that are not a threat to Russia,” Stoltenberg said. “We are in the midst of a war and therefore we should do nothing that can undermine the unity of allies to provide military, humanitarian, financial support to Ukraine, because we must prevent President Putin from winning.”
Stoltenberg also spoke to NATO’s recent additions and future plans for other new members during the alliance’s meetings in Romania. He referenced the addition of both North Macedonia and Montenegro, whose accession Russia vehemently opposed, as well as plans to add Sweden and Finland in the near future.
