NATO Says Ukraine May Join Alliance When ‘Conditions Are Met’

Zelenskyy calls alliance's decision to not provide specific timeline 'unprecedented and absurd'

President Joe Biden (C) and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (R) arrive to attend the first work session as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit, in Vilnius on July 11, 2023. NATO leaders will grapple with Ukraine's membership ambitions at their summit on July 11, 2023. Jacques Witt/AFP via Getty Images

VILNIUS, Lithuania—NATO members on July 11 issued a statement expressing their support for Ukraine’s membership in the alliance but failed to provide a timeline for when that might occur.

“Ukraine’s future is in NATO,” the Vilnius Summit Communiqué (pdf) reads.