US does not expect Ukraine will be invited to join NATO: Official
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Asked about the prospects for peace in Ukraine, the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs claimed the US does not believe Putin is "interested in peace."
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A member of protocol sets up the NATO and Ukrainian flags prior to a media conference of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg during a meeting of NATO defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023. (AP)
The United States indicated on Friday that it does not "anticipate" extending an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO, as Washington prepares to host the military alliance's summit in July.
"We do not anticipate that there'll be an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO, but we think there will be substantial show of support for Ukraine," Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, James O'Brien, told reporters.
O'Brien confirmed that Secretary of State Antony Blinken will head next week to Moldova and Czechia, which will host an informal NATO foreign ministers meeting in Prague.
"This will include ongoing NATO support in building Ukraine's future force and efforts to help Ukraine as it makes the reforms needed so that it's able to join the EU and run across the bridge to NATO as quickly as, as it's able," he pointed out.
When asked about the prospects for peace in Ukraine, O'Brien mentioned that the United States does not believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "interested in peace."
He claimed that Putin "has chosen a path of war. And it's important that Ukraine have the opportunity to stabilize on the battlefield."
"We are always interested in saying that when Ukraine is prepared to make peace, it's able to do so on terms that are a success for Ukraine. And so we've never turned down the opportunity," O'Brien added.
“But for right now, we're very focused on ensuring that Ukraine is able to succeed both on the battlefield and ultimately, when it decides, that it's able to do that with its neighbor to the east."
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