Speaking ahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, Rutte stressed that all member states must agree to any accession – a condition that is currently unmet.
"The practical situation is, as you know, that there is consensus required by all allies for Ukraine to join NATO. And right now, as you know, there is no consensus on Ukraine joining NATO," Rutte told reporters at NATO headquarters.
He recalled, however, that at the NATO summit in Washington in 2024, allies declared that Ukraine’s path to membership was "irreversible."
Ukraine formally submitted its application to join NATO in 2022, following the full-scale Russian invasion.
Rutte also highlighted ongoing support for Ukraine through the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a NATO mechanism launched in August to fund weapons and ammunition from US stockpiles.
He said he expected new contributions from allies in the coming days and noted that the programme would be discussed at Wednesday’s foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels.
The NATO chief welcomed US-led diplomatic efforts to end the war, expressing confidence that they would ultimately "restore peace in Europe."
(ał)
Source: Reuters, PAP