"It currently appears that Ukraine will become the 33rd member. However, it’s possible that someone else may join before them. But Ukraine will be a NATO member in the future. That’s what we decided in Washington. Therefore, the question now is about the temporary boundaries," he stated.
According to Rutte, allies are currently focused on rebuilding Ukraine and are working on ensuring operational compatibility between Ukraine and NATO. This, along with the security guarantees outlined in bilateral agreements with allies, forms a bridge to Ukraine's NATO membership, he said.
"So, if the question is when exactly, I cannot answer that at this moment. But it is clear that we are working on all these fronts to ensure that one day they will indeed become a NATO member," the Secretary General added.