Vance rules out NATO membership for Kyiv
US Vice President J.D. Vance said Ukraine should not be admitted to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, while stressing that Washington and Kyiv would keep working together on particular matters. He made the comments during an interview on the program 2WAY TONIGHT, where the host pressed him on how a partner state compares with a country bound by a formal alliance.[S1][S2][S4][S5][S6][S7]
Vance replied that no formal alliance agreement links the United States and Ukraine and that Ukraine does not belong to NATO. He added his own view that Kyiv ought not to join the bloc. He described Ukraine as a nation deserving strong admiration, with many impressive people, and said cooperation would continue on some questions while the two sides differ on others.[S1][S8]
A call to halt strikes on Russian energy sites
In the same conversation, the vice president said Ukraine needs to stop its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. The instruction most likely referred to Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries. Together the two remarks set out his position on Ukraine's bid for alliance membership and on the country's campaign against Russian energy targets.[S1][S3]
What the comments mean for Kyiv and Washington
Ukraine sees joining NATO as one route to lasting security, and statements from US administration officials about membership and about the terms for ending the war remain a central element of the dialogue between the two capitals. Vance's remarks indicate he does not back Ukrainian accession, yet he left room for continued bilateral cooperation in selected areas.[S1]
The interview aired amid active diplomacy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Brussels on a working visit and met NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, with the two sides aligning steps to reinforce Ukraine's security and widen defense supplies. In Brussels this month, alliance members also opened talks on fresh requirements for the forces and weapons needed to repel a possible Russian attack.[S1]
Maritime security in the region has also been under strain. During the first half of October, drones struck at least eight merchant vessels off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria, both NATO members.[S1]
