Ukraine intensified cooperation with NATO after the occupation of Crimea and the start of Russian aggression in Donbass in 2014. The Constitution of Ukraine enshrines the course towards gaining full membership in the Alliance. A year after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, in July 2023, NATO member countries eased the way for Ukraine to join the bloc, but did not provide an official invitation to Kyiv.
The declaration of the NATO summit, held July 9–11, 2024 in Washington, states that “the future of Ukraine lies in NATO.” Separately, during the summit, NATO agreed to create a NATO Security Assistance and Training Unit for Ukraine (NSATU) to better coordinate the provision of military equipment and training to Ukraine.
On April 5, 2025, Alliance Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed that Ukraine’s path to NATO is irreversible. However, US President Donald Trump believes that Ukraine will not be able to become a NATO member.
