House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said she is in favor of Ukraine having a “security guarantee” but feels the country should win its war with Russia first.
Her comments, which stopped short of backing Ukraine’s push to join NATO, come shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the country’s “accelerated” bid to become part of the alliance. The application was submitted the same day as Russian President Vladimir Putin proclaimed the annexation of four Ukrainian territories.
UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT ZELENSKY ANNOUNCES FAST-TRACK EFFORTS TO JOIN NATO
“Let me just say that we were very committed to democracy in Ukraine, and of course, they have been a candidate for the EU, which we don’t really have a vote in deciding about that,” Pelosi said. “But at some point, let’s win this war, but I would be for them having a security guarantee. But again, it’s a big project.”
While some lawmakers have voiced support for Ukraine joining NATO, concerns have emerged about directly engaging in a war with Russia.
The West has widely condemned Putin’s annexation as illegitimate, with the United States imposing broad new sanctions on Russia in response.
The House also sent a continuing resolution that included additional funding for Ukraine to President Joe Biden’s desk on Friday.
Zelensky’s push to join NATO is likely to anger Putin, who previously said that NATO’s expansion on its eastern flank justified its aggression against Ukraine.
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“We are de facto allies. This has already been achieved. De facto, we have already completed our path to NATO. De facto, we have already proven interoperability with the alliance’s standards, they are real for Ukraine — real on the battlefield and in all aspects of our interaction,” Zelensky said in a statement.
“We trust each other, we help each other, and we protect each other,” Ukraine’s president continued. “This is what the alliance is. De facto.”
“Today, Ukraine is applying to make it de jure. Under a procedure consistent with our significance for the protection of our entire community. Under an accelerated procedure,” he said.
In order for Ukraine to get accepted into the alliance, all 30 member-nations would need to approve the country’s immediate entry.
