NATO Secretary General open to Ukraine’s membership “as 33rd or 34th nation,” but future invitation remains uncertain

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stressed the possibility of Ukraine joining the Alliance as its 33rd or 34th member and urged for an increase in arms support to Ukraine, amounting to 40 billion euros. Yet, he evaded directly answering journalists' inquiries about the feasibility of welcoming Ukraine into the Alliance in the immediate future.

According to Bloomberg, he said this while answering journalists' questions before the meeting of defense ministers of NATO countries in Brussels.

Rutte noted that there are currently 32 NATO members. He does not rule out that Ukraine may become the 33rd or 34th member of the Alliance.

"Now, it seems it will be Ukraine at number 33, but maybe someone else will appear before it. But Ukraine will be a member of NATO in the future," he said.

NATO Secretary General also emphasized:

"We are working in all directions to make sure that, indeed, Ukraine will become a member of NATO one day."

According to him, all the bilateral aid to Ukraine and all the coordinated efforts between the allies are essential now.

Rutte also noted that the Alliance will allocate 40 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine.

"Regarding financial commitments, I am happy to report that we are on track to provide the 40 billion promised for next year, as agreed in Washington," he said.

The NATO Secretary General also noted that NATO allies allocated 20.9 billion euros for military aid to Ukraine in the first half of 2024 and are on track to fulfill their obligations by the end of the year.

"The 32 allies are united in their guarantee that we will jointly do everything necessary to ensure that Ukraine can win, that Putin will not get his way," he said.

He also added:

"We need to move further and faster to meet the growing threats we face."

It should be noted that after taking the reins of power at the beginning of the month, the former prime minister of the Netherlands focused on the need for the alliance to increase investments in the defense industry.

"Over the past two years, we have made significant progress in the production of ammunition and the production of new ships, combat vehicles, and aircraft," Rutte said. "But we still don't produce enough – and costs remain too high."

As more member states meet NATO's pledge to spend 2% of GDP on defense since the start of the war in Russia—a goal that has largely escaped attention over the past decade—Rutte also called for more spending to prepare for future conflict.

In Brussels, defense ministers will discuss a new command center in Wiesbaden, Germany, to coordinate aid and training for Ukraine. The alliance will also focus on working with the industry to improve standardization as a way to unify NATO's armies and improve procurement practices, according to the official, who spoke on anonymity.

Allies will also address gaps in NATO's air defense system. The alliance had to respond to the situation on the part of countries on the eastern flank, where, in recent weeks, there have been several violations of their airspace by Russian drones.

The coordinated effort helped NATO meet its production schedule of 2 million 155mm artillery shells this year. A chronic shortage of ammunition in Kyiv has contributed to Russia's grueling advance in eastern Ukraine this year.

For reference:

According to reports, NATO defense ministers will meet at NATO headquarters on October 17-18. Additionally, a delegation from Ukraine will attend.

Also, Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, went to Brussels on Thursday, October 17. The president will present the victory plan to European leaders.