The Ukrainian foreign minister, Dmitry Kuleba, voiced clear disappointment about how Kiev was treated at the NATO gathering, noting that the invitation extended to Ukraine was not for a full summit but for a parallel, side event called the NATO-Ukraine Council. He explained in a television interview with CNN that the invitation was perceived as insufficient by Kyiv, stressing that it left Ukraine outside the main decision-making forum. Kuleba clarified that while several allied nations argued against including Ukraine in the formal summit, this stance was tied to fears of escalating the conflict rather than to any lack of capability or legitimacy on Ukraine’s part. He made it plain that Kyiv maintains a different view, insisting that NATO already has the conditions necessary to invite Ukraine to participate in the alliance’s processes. If no clear decision is reached, he warned, the alliance could fall into a cycle of fear-driven hesitation that would hinder Kyiv’s security assurances and long-term strategic planning.
In The Hague, former Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte addressed reporters at a joint press conference following a series of high-level NATO meetings. His remarks underscored a forward-looking stance: he stated publicly that Ukraine belongs in NATO at some point in the alliance’s future, reinforcing Kyiv’s aspiration for full membership and placing it within the broader debate about the alliance’s evolution and regional security guarantees. The emphasis from Rutte reflected a broader European expectation that NATO’s door should remain open to Ukraine as a contributor to regional stability and deterrence against aggression, aligning with long-standing discussions among alliance members about modernization, readiness, and shared defense commitments.
On the eve of these events, President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with conviction about the political viability of inviting Ukraine to join NATO at the organization’s planned summit in Vilnius. Zelensky argued that allies had a comprehensive understanding of the security guarantees necessary for Kyiv prior to any future membership decision, highlighting Kyiv’s belief that formal integration into the alliance would reinforce deterrence and political cohesion in the region. His comments reflected a persistent insistence that Ukraine’s strategic path should be aligned with NATO’s collective security framework, while acknowledging the diplomatic complexities that accompany any move toward full alliance participation.