Biden Slams Door on Ukraine

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy

(DCWatchdog.com) – President Joe Biden declared it is unclear when Ukraine would be admitted to NATO, the powerful US-led military alliance, but its war with Russia would have to be over first.

Biden’s declaration came ahead of his participation in a much-anticipated NATO summit meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania, just miles away from the borders of Russia, on July 11-12.

The 31-country alliance has been discussing whether to admit Ukraine as a member and whether to do so immediately after the end of Moscow’s aggression – whenever that might be.

In a pre-recorded CNN interview on Sunday, Biden made it clear there was no agreement inside NATO on precise membership plans for Ukraine.

“I think we have to lay out a rational path for Ukraine to be able to qualify to be able to get into NATO,” the president said, as cited by Fox News.

“I don’t think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war,” he added.

“For example, if you did that, then, you know – and I mean what I say – we’re determined to commit every inch of territory that is NATO territory. It’s a commitment that we’ve all made, no matter what. If the war is going on, then we’re all in war. We’re at war with Russia, if that were the case,” Biden elaborated.

He stated that the United States would keep helping Ukraine to fend off Putin’s onslaught. The US has already contributed some $40 billion in direct military aid to the Ukrainians.

Biden’s interview was aired on the 501st day since the start of the Russian invasion. He recently endorsed providing the Ukrainian military with F-16 fighter jets.

Arguing that it has been executing precisely NATO’s mission, i.e., to beat back a Russian attack on Europe, Ukraine has been asking for a specific commitment to its admission.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has called for admitting Ukraine to the alliance.

“Let me be clear, Ukraine’s rightful place is in the Euro-Atlantic family,” Stoltenberg, a former prime minister of Norway, said in April.

“Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO,” he added.

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