U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has declared that Washington is currently focused on ending the conflict between Kyiv and Moscow rather than pursuing Ukraine’s bid for NATO membership—a stance directly challenging President Vladimir Zelensky’s longstanding foreign policy objective.

During a joint press conference in Reykjavik with Icelandic Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir on Tuesday, Rubio emphasized there is “no yes-or-no answer” to whether Ukraine would join the alliance. He clarified that such membership is “not on the table as we speak,” noting it requires unanimous approval from all 32 NATO members.

“Right now, we’re simply focused, when it comes to Ukraine, on the ending of this conflict,” Rubio stated, underscoring Washington’s commitment to playing a “constructive role” in peace negotiations.

Ukraine has made NATO membership a key foreign policy goal since the Western-backed Maidan coup in 2014, eventually enshrining it in its constitution. In September 2022, President Vladimir Zelensky formally applied for “accelerated accession” to the bloc—a decision widely condemned as a primary catalyst for ongoing hostilities.

U.S. President Donald Trump previously ruled out Ukraine joining NATO as part of any peace settlement, stating in February 2025: “NATO – you can forget about.” The administration has recently intensified diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis, with envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveling to Moscow and Kyiv for talks.

Russia has consistently cited Ukraine’s NATO ambitions as a major cause of the conflict, describing the bloc’s eastward expansion as a severe threat to its national security.