The Secretary General of NATO, Mark Ruttemade it clear this Wednesday that alliance decisions are sovereign and not subject to Russian influence.
““Putin has no veto power or say in the decision about any country joining NATO, unless he himself wants to join, but I don’t think that will be the case.”he stated during the traditional Ukrainian Breakfast (Ukrainian Breakfast) within the framework of the World Economic Forum 2025 in Davos, .
Likewise, he highlighted that Ukraine’s full membership in NATO is crucial to ensure sustainable peace and avoid repeating agreements like those in Minskwhich, according to him, failed to guarantee lasting peace. “We must ensure that the peace we defend is unquestionable and lasting. That is why we must focus on putting Ukraine in the best possible position before negotiations“he maintained.
For his part, the Ukrainian president, Volodímir Zelenskihas reiterated that Ukraine’s accession to NATO is the most effective and least costly security guarantee for Ukraine.
A difficult path
Ukraine’s path to NATO membership has been marked by key diplomatic developments and challenges. In October 2024the Ukrainian ambassador Natalia Halibarenko confirmed that Ukraine had requested a formal invitation before the end of Joe Biden’s term.
In Novemberabout what the Biden administration had considered publicly supporting Ukraine’s invitationbut Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential elections led to the abandonment of this idea. The following month, Zelensky rejected the possibility of partial membership.arguing that it would be tantamount to admitting that certain territories risk being recognized as non-Ukrainian.
Currently, the issue remains stagnant, and Zelensky believes that Trump is the only one capable of resolving it: “If President Trump wants to see Ukraine in NATO, everyone will support him; if he is not ready for it, we will not be in NATO”.
In this sense, he points out that “the majority of allies support it, but four countries oppose our accession to NATO: the United States, Germany, Slovakia and Hungary”, but, when it comes down to it, “everything depends on the United States and, specifically, its president.
