Rutte says Ukraine will become 33rd or 34th NATO member

Ukraine will eventually join NATO. Most likely, it will be the next in line to join the alliance, which now includes 32 countries.

This was stated by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, RBC-Ukraine reports citing Bloomberg.

“Ukraine will become a NATO member in the future, we decided in Washington. The question is the timing,” he told reporters.

According to him, it now looks like Ukraine will become the 33rd member. He did not rule out the possibility that some other country could jump ahead, and Ukraine would become the 34th.

Rutte told reporters that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy can count on NATO's continued support to put his country in a strong position to face potential negotiations with Russia to end the war.

Zelenskiy presented his victory plan to the parliament in Kyiv, outlining his conditions for a potential end to Russia's invasion. He reaffirmed his refusal to accept territorial concessions or engage in a process that would lead to a frozen conflict.

The first point of the plan is an unconditional invitation to Ukraine to join NATO. Zelenskyy is scheduled to arrive in Brussels during the European Union summit on October 17, where he will brief EU leaders.

At the same time, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said in an interview with Bloomberg that the issue of extending a direct invitation to Ukraine continues to cause disagreements in the alliance.

“There are countries that are ready to move faster; there are countries that want to discuss more,” Pevkur said.

Author - Olena Madiak, 17/10/2024