PARIS, December 3. /TASS/. The possibility of Ukraine's invitation to NATO is making many members of the alliance anxious, France’s Le Monde reported, citing an unidentified diplomat.
"It is a possibility that causes concern among many members of the bloc," he said.
According to the diplomat, extending an invitation to Kiev is opposed by the US, Germany and Hungary. The newspaper said that although some countries, including France and the UK, insist on inviting Ukraine to the alliance, US President Joe Biden refused to make this decision, and US President-elect Donald Trump "has never supported this idea."
According to former NATO Assistant Secretary General Camille Grand, in the event of a ceasefire in Ukraine, EU countries "could consider an EU-led operation involving 10 or 15 countries." Given the absence of the US in the possible coalition, European participation should be quite large and include forces from nuclear powers France and the UK, he said.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said NATO is not discussing an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance, but only arms supplies to Kiev.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitriy Peskov said Moscow views Ukraine's potential membership in NATO as a threat, which was one of the reasons for starting the special military operation.
In September 2022, Ukraine applied for a fast-track accession to NATO. At the summit in Vilnius in July 2023, the alliance said it would make an exception for Ukraine and let it join Ukraine without first implementing an action plan. At the summit in Washington in July this year, Ukraine was promised $40 billion in military aid every year as guarantees of support, but wasn’t given a specific timeline for accession.