US says Ukraine will not be invited to join NATO "in short term"

NATO does not plan to invite Ukraine to join the Alliance "in the short term", despite this being the first point of the Victory Plan put forward by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Source: US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith in a comment to journalists, as reported by European Pravda, citing Voice of America

Details: When asked about the possibility of extending an official invitation to Ukraine to join NATO, the US ambassador recalled the Alliance's official stance on Kyiv's "irreversible path to membership".

Smith indicated that the Alliance is not at a stage where it is considering the invitation in the short term. However, she remarked that they would keep in touch with their friends in Ukraine about ways to advance towards joining the Alliance.

Background:

• Earlier on Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy unveiled Ukraine's Victory Plan in parliament, with the first point emphasising the need for an immediate invitation for Ukraine to join NATO, contingent upon the commitment of its partners.
• Ukraine's Ambassador to NATO, Nataliia Halibarenko, stated that Ukraine would like to receive an invitation to join NATO before Joe Biden leaves the White House, stressing that this would be a worthy legacy for the US president.

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