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President Biden said Monday that Ukraine has not yet met the criteria required to join NATO, but that it will receive the necessary support from the alliance amid rising tensions with Russia.
The president spoke about his position on Ukraine after meeting NATO leaders on the eve of his scheduled summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who strongly opposed their possible membership in the alliance. Biden noted that Ukrainian leaders will need to deal with corruption within the government and fight the influence of a powerful oligarchy to demonstrate their commitment to democratic values.
“It depends on whether they meet the criteria or not. The fact is that they still have to crack down on corruption. The fact is that they still have to meet other criteria to get into the action plan. You know, the school is out of that question. It’s out of the question,” Biden said. “It still has to be seen.”
“In the meantime, we will do everything we can to put Ukraine in a position to continue resisting Russia’s physical aggression. It will not only depend on me whether or not we conclude that Ukraine can become part of NATO, depending on the alliance and how they vote.”
Earlier on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Biden to provide a “yes or no” answer on whether he supports Ukraine’s entry into NATO. Russia has long denied having an active military presence inside Ukraine, although tensions have remained high in recent months as Russian forces have massed near the border.
Zelensky expressed his disappointment that he was unable to meet Biden before his meeting with Putin on Wednesday in Geneva, Switzerland. In a phone call last week, Biden told Ukraine’s president that he would “stand firmly” for Ukraine’s sovereignty during the Putin summit.
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In his press conference, Biden warned Russia of further aggression against Ukraine.
“They have a lot to do, but that doesn’t justify — the fact that they have more to do — that Russia is taking aggressive action, either in Donbass or on the sea or in any part of Ukraine. We will put Ukraine in a position so that they can maintain their physical security,” Biden said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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