As NATO Marks 75th Anniversary, Kyiv’s Membership Bid Remains on Hold

Ukraine’s sought-after accession to the transatlantic alliance is unlikely to be on the agenda at an upcoming NATO summit in Washington.

Secretary-General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg (L) gestures next to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during their joint press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 20, 2023. Roman Pilipey/Getty Images

As Russian forces continue to make gains on the battlefield, Ukraine’s longstanding hope of joining NATO remains in limbo—caught between vague assurances emanating from Washington and dire warnings from Moscow.

Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised eyebrows when he appeared to state unequivocally that Ukraine “will become a member of NATO.”