Rutte names four countries “holding back” Ukraine’s NATO membership

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has named four countries that are holding back Ukraine’s accession to the North Atlantic Alliance.

He shared his view after speaking at the Ronald Reagan Institute in the United States on Thursday, April 9, Ukrinform reports.

“At the NATO summit in Washington, when NATO was celebrating 75 years, there was an agreement on the irreversible path of Ukraine into NATO. But also, the fact of the matter is that a couple of countries are holding back, including Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, and the United States. So, I don’t think this (Ukraine’s NATO membership – ed.) is on the table right now,” Rutte said.

He also does not believe that the issue of Ukraine’s NATO membership will be resolved politically at the collective level “in the short term.”

“I think that is a fair assessment,” Rutte added.

According to the Secretary General, the Alliance is currently working to adopt Ukraine’s wartime experience in order to incorporate it into NATO’s defense planning.

This is especially true “when it comes to drones and anti-drone technology. Of course, you are the masters. Zelensky wisely travelled to the Middle East to help Middle Eastern Gulf countries with dealing with drone threat from Iran,” Rutte noted.

As reported, President Volodymyr Zelensky said it would be unwise to keep Ukraine outside NATO, but that is exactly what Russia wants.

Photo: NATO