Jake Sullivan: NATO will set a path for Ukraine's accession, but not a timetable
US President Joe Biden and NATO allies will “send a united, positive signal” on a path to NATO membership for Ukraine at the Vilnius summit, the White House said, but declined to provide a specific timetable for accession, CNN reports.
Allies will “discuss Ukraine’s path to future membership in NATO,” during the summit in the Lithuanian capital, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Tuesday, as he sought to temper expectations.
“As President Biden noted, bringing Ukraine into the Alliance now while we’re in Vilnius would bring NATO into war with Russia,” he said, later adding that Ukraine still “has further steps to take along its reform path” before accession to the alliance.
“But allies will send a united, positive signal on Ukraine's path to future member membership in the alliance,” Sullivan said. Still, Sullivan declined to predict a specific date for Ukraine joining the alliance during Tuesday’s briefing with reporters.
