Biden says Ukraine isn’t ready for NATO

In an exclusive interview with CNN‘s Fareed Zakaria, President Joe Biden said that the timing isn’t right in terms of Ukraine being extended an invitation to join NATO, as they’re still actively at war with Russia. 

Speaking on the issue at the start of what will be a weeklong trip to Europe, “which includes a NATO summit in Lithuania where Russia’s war in Ukraine and Zelenskyy’s push for NATO membership will be among the key issues looming over the gathering,” the president was frank with his stance on the issue saying, “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. 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.”

Biden went on to say that he and Zelenskyy have been keeping in contact on the possibility of NATO bringing them in and that the “U.S. would keep providing security and weaponry for Ukraine like it does for Israel while the process plays out.” “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 said.