JD Vance says Ukraine should stay out of NATO

Summary

• JD Vance said Ukraine should not join NATO and called it a partner of the United States, not a formal ally, in a new interview.
• Vance said Washington has no formal alliance with Kyiv.
• For now, JD Vance has set out a clear line against Ukrainian membership, and the remarks add to doubts in Kyiv about how far Washington will stand by it.

AI Generated Summary

JD Vance said Ukraine should not join NATO and called it a partner of the United States, not a formal ally, in a new interview.

The US vice president spoke on the program a 2WAY interview. The host asked whether Ukraine counts as an ally, and he answered that in a certain sense it is a partner.

Vance said Washington has no formal alliance with Kyiv. Ukraine sits outside NATO, he noted, and he does not think it should join.

What JD Vance said about NATO

Vance described occasional differences in the two countries’ interests. He also praised Ukraine as a respectable and beautiful country with many wonderful people. Even so, he said the two governments will work together on some issues and take opposing positions on others.

Kyiv has long seen NATO membership as a way to secure its future, so JD Vance’s words matter there. It applied for fast-track entry in September 2022. At the Vilnius summit in July 2023, allies eased the path to membership, but Ukraine got no formal invitation.