Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called for maintaining Ukraine’s potential NATO membership on the international agenda, arguing that his country can make meaningful contributions to transatlantic security efforts.
The foreign minister’s comments echo previous statements from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who argued that Ukraine’s entry into NATO could end the war with Russia within 24 hours and would be the most cost-effective security guarantee for multiple parties, including the US, Europe, Russia, and Ukraine itself.
However, these positions contrast with statements from US President Donald Trump, who repeatedly indicated that Ukraine would need to forgo NATO membership as part of any war-ending agreement.
“That’s about transatlantic security and our contribution. Ukraine now has 110 brigades with daily combat experience. It will be a real contribution to future transatlantic security and, by the way, the cheapest one,” Andrii Sybiha said at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum on 12 April.
Sybiha stated during the forum that “the security of Ukraine and Europe is indivisible”. He added that Ukraine’s current security situation has implications beyond Europe, affecting “security issues in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.”
According to previous statements, Trump does not consider Ukraine’s NATO accession “practical” and criticized his predecessor, Joe Biden, for supporting Ukraine’s membership ambitions.
During his election campaign, Trump suggested that discussions about Ukraine joining NATO contributed to Russia’s decision to launch its full-scale invasion.
During recent peace talks with the US, Russia reiterated its demand for guarantees that Ukraine would not join NATO and that no foreign military forces would be deployed on Ukrainian soil.
This demand was a recurring theme since the start of the full-scale war and remains central to Russia’s position in current negotiations as Russian officials continue to blame NATO’s eastward expansion for the war.
President Zelenskyy acknowledged the current challenges facing Ukraine’s NATO aspirations, noting that several countries, including the US, Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia, have shown reluctance toward Ukrainian membership. Nevertheless, the Ukrainian president expressed optimism that positions could shift if President Trump advocated for change.
Meanwhile, NATO chief Mark Rutte stated that NATO did not promise Ukraine membership as part of any potential peace deal with Russia while defending Donald Trump’s decision to remove Kyiv’s membership in the Alliance indefinitely.
Zelenskyy also suggested that if NATO membership remains unattainable, Ukraine would need to pursue alternative security arrangements, potentially “building its own NATO.”
