President Biden shut down the idea of Ukraine joining NATO during a sit-down with CNN that aired Sunday, saying the war with Russia must first end. "I don't think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war," Biden told Fareed Zakaria. "For example, if you did that, then, you know—and I mean what I say—we're determined to commit every inch of territory that is NATO territory. It's a commitment that we've all made no matter what. If the war is going on, then we're all in war. We're at war with Russia, if that were the case."
He says he's spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about the issue, as well as about his pledge to continue providing the country with security and weaponry as the invasion continues. "I think we have to lay out a rational path for Ukraine to be able to qualify to be able to get into NATO," Biden told Zakaria. "But I think it's premature to say, to call for a vote, you know, in now, because there's other qualifications that need to be met, including democratization and some of those issues." He said, per the Hill, that Ukraine is "not ready" for membership and that, per Politico, the process is "going to take a while." Ukraine's potential membership (as well as Sweden's more likely membership) is expected to be discussed at the NATO summit in Lithuania Tuesday, which Biden will attend during his trip to Europe this week. (More Ukraine stories.)
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