Nato membership for Ukraine 'should not be off the table', says Kyiv's Foreign Minister

Andrii Sybiha says Ukraine's increased military capabilities would benefit the alliance

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha attends a Nato Ministers of Foreign Affairs meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on April 1. EPA

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister has reiterated the country’s aim to join Nato, saying it could play a key role in transnational security, in defiance of Moscow’s insistence that Kyiv does not join the alliance.

“Ukraine’s Nato membership should not be off the table – that's about transatlantic security, that's about our contribution,” Andrii Sybiha told a panel at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in the Turkish resort city.

Increased capabilities since the start of Ukraine war are one reason that Kyiv believes it can contribute to the alliance, as it now has battle-hardened troops and has expanded its ability to produce military hardware.

Kyiv says it has scaled up domestic defence manufacturing sixfold since Russia invaded in February 2022, and Ukraine now has the capacity to produce six million drones, Mr Sybiha added. “We now have 110 brigades with daily combat experience.”

Nato membership for Ukraine is a major red line for Russia. Moscow wants reassurances that Ukraine will not join the bloc as part of any peace deal to end the conflict.

Moscow wants security guarantees for its western border, including “the neutral status of Ukraine, the refusal of Nato countries to accept it into the alliance”, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said last month.

Speaking on the same panel as Mr Sybiha in Antalya, senior Nato official Javier Colomina said the alliance does not like to speak about its “expansion”. Mr Colomina added: “We will continue to work with our Ukrainian friends for their transatlantic aspirations and integrations.”

The US and Russia wrapped up the latest talks on ending Ukraine war following a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Washington's envoy Steve Witkoff in Saint Petersburg late on Friday. President Donald Trump has been pressing Moscow and Kyiv to agree to a ceasefire deal but has failed to win any major concessions from the Kremlin, despite repeated negotiations between Russian and US officials.

During a separate panel discussion at the Antalya Forum, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the Trump administration's recent overtures to Moscow marked a “return to normality” after years of minimal contact between the Kremlin and Washington, and what he described as the “disgrace” of the Biden administration's lack of communication.

“There is nothing wrong with Russia and US having good relations. What he [Mr Trump] is suggesting is going back to normality, to stop this idiotic posture, which was a disgrace,” Mr Lavrov said.

He singled out the leaders of the UK and France, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Emmanuel Macron, for criticism over plans to bring peacekeepers to Ukraine to monitor a possible future ceasefire. Moscow opposes the idea.

“They are not thinking about creating a neutral force,” Mr Lavrov said.

Mr Trump seems “to understand much, much, much more about what is going on than any European Union country, except Hungary and Slovakia – their leaders are quite thoughtful,” he added. “When asked about this idea of this force contingent, Mr Trump said there should be some discussion between the parties. Macron said, no discussion with Russia.”

Failing to achieve a resolution to the war in Ukraine will have wider ramifications for European security, Mr Sybiha said.

“A just and comprehensive peace also means dignity,” he said. “How this war will end in Ukraine determines … the future security of every family in Europe. If we don’t achieve just and comprehensive peace, the price will be much higher for everyone.”

The EU is attempting to shore up and expand its own security architecture, amid criticism from Washington that it has been over-reliant on the US for its defence. It it looking to partners outside the bloc to contribute. These include the UK, Norway and Turkey, which has the second-largest army in Nato.

UK Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty told the Antalya panel that Britain would “continue to support Ukraine for 100 years”.