Obama: Georgia, Ukraine ‘Not on Path to NATO Membership’

There are “no immediate plans” for expanding NATO to include Georgia and Ukraine, U.S. President Barack Obama said at a press conference after the EU-US summit in Brussels on March 26.

Responding to a question whether the crisis in Ukraine will make it more or less likely that NATO will expand to include Ukraine and Georgia, President Obama responded: “Neither Ukraine or Georgia are currently on a path to NATO membership.”

“There has not been any immediate plans for expansion of NATO’s membership,” he said.

“I know that Russia, at least on background, has suggested that one of the reasons they’ve been concerned about Ukraine was potential NATO membership.  On the other hand, part of the reason that the Ukraine has not formally applied for NATO membership is because of its complex relationship with Russia.  I don’t think that’s going to change anytime soon, obviously,” President Obama said.

The U.S. President said that NATO has “military commitments” to its members and non-NATO members, he said, “we want to support based on our beliefs and ideals that are important not just in Europe, but around the world, including territorial integrity and sovereignty”; he reiterated to support Ukraine in its elections, economy and to continue “to isolate Russia in response to the actions that it’s taken.”

(Corrected: This text replaces the previous one, which contained erroneous quote in the second paragraph)