But Biden did tell CNN that in the meantime, if there is a cease-fire in this war, the U.S. So you know, it'll take some time to get into NATO. And he said that will require some democratic reforms. Biden told CNN he thinks they have to lay out a, quote, "rational path" for Ukraine to get into NATO. And the White House has said it will uphold NATO's open-door policy, which means, in theory, Ukraine could join the club one day, but it's not articulated a timeline. MARTÍNEZ: Yeah, so then what would even be the conditions for Ukraine to join? I mean, has the White House spelled it out? You know, so Biden says it would be premature to call for a vote now when Ukraine, though, I will say, would like to see at least a clear path to membership when the leaders get together this week. KHALID: And that's because bringing Ukraine in now would require other NATO countries to join that war effort. 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. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Holding NATO together is really critical. And Biden flatly said Ukraine is not ready for NATO membership. The president spoke with CNN's Fareed Zakaria before he left for this trip to Europe. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has called on Biden to invite Ukraine into NATO now, but Biden has resisted that push. But one big test for this idea of NATO unity, when this summit does get underway tomorrow in Lithuania, will be around this question of Ukraine's membership into the club. Biden has staked a lot of his personal reputation on uniting NATO in the face of Russian aggression.
What will be the top priority?ĪSMA KHALID, BYLINE: Well, Ukraine is going to be the top priority. The NATO summit is really the focus of this trip to Europe. MARTÍNEZ: NPR White House correspondent Asma Khalid joins us now from London. President Biden is in Europe this week with a mission to shore up America's ties and discuss potentially expanding NATO membership at a two-day leaders summit in Lithuania.īut he begins his trip this morning in the United Kingdom, meeting British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and talking climate change with King Charles at Windsor Castle.
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