Spokeswoman: Washington more focused on military aid than NATO accession for Ukraine.

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre avoided a question on June 3 on U.S. support for Ukraine's NATO accession, saying[1] that Washington believes in an open-door policy for the alliance but is currently focused more on providing tangible aid to Ukraine. In recent days, the U.S. announced another assistance package for Ukraine for a sum of £300 million. "Any Alliance decision is between the 31 Allies and the aspirant country," Jean-Pierre said.

NATO members remain divided[2] on the subject of Ukraine's membership, as President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed his call for Ukraine to join the alliance at the European Political Community meeting in Moldova, as alliance members met in Norway. The U.S. and Germany want to avoid increasing the likelihood of direct war with Russia, even as Eastern European allies champion Ukraine's cause. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the same day that there was "no point" in him attending the upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius, unless the alliance offers a membership invitation or "some kind of signal."

NATO agreed that Ukraine would eventually join the alliance in 2008, but Kyiv has yet to receive a membership action plan.

Zelensky says 'no point' in attending NATO summit if Ukraine not 'given a signal' "If we are not acknowledged and given a signal in Vilnius, I believe there is no point for Ukraine to be at this summit," President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Wall Street Journal.

Reporter

Francis Farrell is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent. He has worked as managing editor at the online media project Lossi 36, and as a freelance journalist and documentary photographer.

He has previously worked in OSCE and Council of Europe field missions in Albania and Ukraine, and is an alumnus of Leiden University in The Hague and University College London.

References

1. ^ saying (www.pravda.com.ua)
2. ^ divided (www.aljazeera.com)
3. ^ Zelensky says 'no point' in attending NATO summit if Ukraine not 'given a signal'"If we are not acknowledged and given a signal in Vilnius, I believe there is no point for Ukraine to be at this summit," President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Wall Street Journal. (kyivindependent.com)