NATO to Ukraine: Maybe later
According to EU officials, NATO sees now is not the time for Ukraine to join as member states lack consensus on the matter.
Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that the foreign ministers of NATO countries will announce during the meeting in Bucharest that there are no plans for Ukraine's accession into the alliance now.
The agency quoted sources as saying that the foreign ministers intend to confirm that "while the alliance’s door remains open, now is not the time for Ukraine to join"
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A senior European diplomat told Bloomberg that the alliance still lacks consensus on this issue.
The diplomats will discuss in the meeting supplying Ukraine with air-defense systems, however, "there won’t be any meaningful progress on the pledge to let the country join the alliance," according to Bloomberg.
Read more: Borrell: NATO has enough challenges without China
It is noteworthy that the foreign ministers of NATO countries are holding a meeting in Bucharest on November 29 and 30 to discuss the issue of increasing aid to Ukraine in addition to Chinese "challenges".
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said before the meeting that the ministers plan to agree on increasing the volume of "non-lethal assistance" to be provided to Kiev, explaining that the talk is about the supply of fuel, medical supplies, and systems designed to combat drones, as well as special assistance that the Ukrainian army needs during the coming winter period.
Read more: NATO ministers to tackle issues posed by China: Stoltenberg