US considers conditions for automatic admission of Ukraine into NATO?

(Dan Tri) - Western media reported that the US seems to be considering a mechanism to automatically bring Ukraine into NATO.

Ukrainian soldiers participate in training (Photo: Reuters).

The United States is considering a security commitment that would grant automatic NATO membership to Ukraine if Russia violates a future peace deal, NBC News reported, citing four Washington officials.

The proposal is aimed at addressing concerns that Russia could regroup and launch a new offensive, breaking any ceasefire in a potential peace plan.

Some US State Department officials have advised against publicly stating that Ukraine would not be allowed to join NATO as part of a peace deal with Russia, ahead of a speech by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Brussels, Belgium, on February 12, sources said.

However, Mr Hegseth deviated from his prepared statement. He made a stronger statement about Ukraine's unlikely accession to NATO, saying: "The United States does not believe that NATO membership in the negotiated agreement is realistic."

Earlier, according to the Kyiv Post , European leaders meeting in Paris on February 17 appeared to discuss a mechanism for Ukraine's automatic admission to NATO if Moscow violates a peace agreement. It is unclear whether they discussed this or not.

The emergency summit comes after the White House announced that Europe would be excluded from key talks on the Russia-Ukraine war, a move that has drawn criticism from Europe, with leaders stressing that peace cannot be “imposed” on Ukraine on conditions set by Russia.

At the Munich Security Conference, President Volodymyr Zelensky reaffirmed that NATO membership remains Kiev's top desire, despite "hesitation" from the Trump administration.

The proposal for Ukraine to join NATO on the condition that Russia violates the ceasefire agreement was initially put forward by a group of US senators and has now received support from a number of European leaders, according to Western media.

Ukraine has long pursued the goal of becoming a member of the NATO alliance. Kiev even included it in its constitution. Ukraine formally applied for NATO membership in September 2022, seven months after Russia began its special military operation.

NATO has pledged to bring Ukraine into the alliance since 2008, ignoring Russian warnings that Moscow viewed the proposal as a major threat to its national security. According to Russian officials, the conflict in Ukraine erupted in large part because the military bloc sought to incorporate Kiev.

However, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Mr. Zelensky said on February 14 that the US never really wanted Ukraine to join NATO, even before the administration of President Donald Trump began to change its approach to the war between Kiev and Russia.

"The US has never really considered us a NATO member, they only talk about it. They really don't want us to join NATO," Mr. Zelensky said.

He went on to reiterate his earlier statement that if Ukraine cannot join the NATO alliance, "we will build NATO right here in Ukraine."

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/my-xem-xet-dieu-kien-tu-dong-ket-nap-ukraine-vao-nato-20250221015140716.htm