US Envoy Doubts Ukraine Will Receive NATO Invitation at July Summit, According to Reuters

BRUSSELS – Julianne Smith, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, stated on Tuesday that she does not anticipate the alliance to extend a membership invitation to Ukraine during its upcoming summit in Washington this July.

In response to a question during a media call ahead of a NATO defense ministers’ meeting, Smith remarked, “As for the summit this summer, I do not expect the alliance to issue an invitation at this juncture.”

Ukraine has emphasized its desire to join the U.S.-led military alliance while it continues to combat Russia’s invasion. Kyiv, along with several of its Eastern European allies within NATO, has advocated for a membership invitation, even recognizing that Ukraine cannot join while actively engaged in conflict.

At last year’s summit in Lithuania, NATO leaders acknowledged Ukraine’s future within the alliance but refrained from extending an invitation or establishing a timeline for membership.

“We’ve worked very hard since the Vilnius summit last year to implement several steps to assist our friends in Ukraine with the necessary reforms to move closer to Euro-Atlantic integration,” Smith noted. She underscored the priority of supporting Ukraine in its current struggle to ensure it can succeed on the battlefield.