NATO Chief: Ukraine Was Never Promised Membership If It Reached a Peace Deal with Russia

(Patria) - Member state leaders never promised Ukraine NATO membership if it reached a peace agreement with Russia, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told reporters yesterday.

- We must ensure that (Russian President) Vladimir Putin never tries to attack Ukraine again, that is key, but Ukraine was never promised that it would become part of NATO as part of a peace agreement - Rutte said.

European leaders yesterday warned Washington against a Ukrainian peace agreement with Russia behind their backs as they try to secure a place at the negotiating table after US President Donald Trump spoke with Putin and announced the start of negotiations.

Trump's move upset European countries that want to play a central role in peace negotiations because any agreement on Ukraine, which Russia invaded three years ago, will have consequences for their security.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that it is not realistic for Ukraine to return to its pre-2014 borders and that Ukraine's NATO membership will not be part of a peace agreement. Russia occupied and annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014.

European leaders claim that one of the reasons they need to be involved in the negotiations is that Washington has made it clear that it expects them to provide security guarantees for any peace agreement, which could mean deploying European soldiers to Ukraine.