© Reuters. Biden: No Consensus On Whether Ukraine Can Join NATO ‘In Middle Of War’
Benzinga – President Joe Biden addressed whether Ukraine will be let into the North American Treat Organization Alliance (NATO).
What Happened: “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,” said Biden in an interview with CNN.
Biden went on to affirm that the members of the coalition will continue to support the eastern European country to fight Russia’s aggression.
The president made the comment ahead of his European tour during which is also scheduled to attend a NATO summit in Lithuania.
“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,” the president reportedly said.
Biden also said he refused Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demand for a commitment not to admit Ukraine into NATO, citing the “open-door policy” of the alliance. However, it’s too premature to call for a vote because there are other qualifications that need to be met, including “democratization and some of those issues,” he said.
NATO was created in 1949 by the U.S. Canada, and several Western European nations in 1949 to provide collective security against the erstwhile Soviet Union.
Committed To Ukraine: Regarding the U.S.’s continued military support to Ukraine, Biden said, “This is a war relating to munitions. And they’re running out of that ammunition, and we’re low on it.”
“And so, what I finally did, I took the recommendation of the Defense Department to — not permanently — but to allow for this transition period, while we get more 155 weapons, these shells, for the Ukrainians.”
The recent decision by the U.S. to provide cluster munitions comes at a time Ukrainians have struggled to make major gains in their counteroffensive against Russia, the report added.
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