NATO countries reach ‘agreement’ Ukraine will become member state, says secretary general

Ukraine will become a NATO member as the secretary general confirms all countries have reached an ‘agreement’. Speaking ahead of a meeting of the Ukraine defence contact group on April 21, Jens Stoltenberg told reporters that Kyiv must have “the deterrence to prevent new attacks”, after the Russo-Ukraine war ends.

“Let me be clear, Ukraine’s rightful place is in the Euro-Atlantic family,” he said. “Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO.” It is reported that Stoltenberg also invited Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to attend the NATO summit this summer.

The news comes just hours after German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stressed it’s not the right time to determine Ukraine’s future inside NATO. “The door is open a crack, but this is not the time to decide that now,” Pistorius said on Thursday night.

Defence officials from major states have attended the US Ramstein Air Base in Germany today to talk about how states can support Ukraine moving forward. The meeting follows Zelenskyy’s appeal to NATO for further support including a request for advanced fighter jets, long-range rockets, and armoured vehicles.