VILNIUS – Leaders of Poland, Romania and Lithuania reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine’s eventual NATO membership following a summit with Nordic, Baltic, and central European countries in Vilnius on Monday. Representing the so-called B9 group and their Nordic partners, the leaders declared that Ukraine’s path toward joining the alliance remains “irreversible.”
The declaration comes amid growing uncertainty about Ukraine’s NATO aspirations, particularly after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that previous American backing for Ukraine’s membership bid was partly to blame for the ongoing war. Trump has signaled Ukraine will not be admitted to the alliance under current conditions.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly included halting NATO’s eastward expansion and lifting sanctions among his conditions for ending the war in Ukraine, according to Reuters.
Despite these pressures, the regional bloc of NATO members remains steadfast. “We stand firm on Allied decision and commitment regarding Ukraine’s irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership. Ukraine has the right to choose its own security arrangements and to decide its own future, free from outside interference,” the leaders said in a joint statement.
The summit, held ahead of the upcoming NATO meeting in The Hague later this month, brought together representatives from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Slovakia, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Participants also urged the international community to intensify sanctions on Russia to increase pressure and support Ukraine’s sovereignty.