NATO chief says no timetable set for Ukraine’s membership, a position that disappointed Zelenskyy Vilnius

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the leaders of the military organization’s member nations have agreed to allow Ukraine to join “when allies agree and conditions are met.” Stoltenberg spoke on Tuesday after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskky blasted the alliance’s failure to set a timetable for Ukraine’s membership as “absurd.” “We reaffirmed Ukraine will become a member of NATO and agreed to remove the requirement for a membership action plan,” Stoltenberg told reporters, referring to a key step in joining NATO.

The decision will change Ukraine’s membership path from two steps to one step, he said, adding that Ukraine would join “when allies agree and conditions are met.”