(CNN) — US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Friday that the United States believes the process of Ukraine’s accession to NATO should “take place at a different time.”
Earlier on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that his country had submitted an urgent request to join the alliance.
“The United States has been clear for decades that we support NATO’s open door policy,” Sullivan said at a White House news conference, adding that “any decision on NATO membership is between the 30 members of the alliance and the countries that aspire to join it.”
“At the moment, our view is that the best way for us to support Ukraine is through practical support on the ground, and that the process of joining NATO in Brussels should take place at a different time,” he added.
Earlier on Friday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said NATO member states support “Ukraine’s right to choose its own path”, but stressed that any decision on membership must be made by all 30 members of the alliance.