WASHINGTON, July 10. /TASS/. Ukraine cannot become a NATO member while it is in the state of conflict with Russia, Polish President Andrzej Duda said in an interview with the Washington Times.

That said, the Polish leader asserted that "he was prepared to go further than other alliance states in pushing for a full, formal invitation to the alliance." According to the newspaper, "other NATO leaders, including President Biden, have offered a ‘bridge’ to eventual Ukrainian membership but have been reluctant to establish a concrete timetable."

Ukraine applied to join NATO on a fast-track basis in September 2022, and was assured at the alliance’s summit in Vilnius in July 2023 that it would be admitted if the necessary conditions were met. But, no timetable for its admission was given in Brussels. Meanwhile, the organization has repeatedly pointed to the fact that Ukraine’s accession is impossible while the country remains in a state of armed conflict.