NATO countries pause Ukraine membership talks until new White House team arrives

NATO members cant make up their minds about Ukraineʼs wish to join the alliance‚ with many countries waiting for the next US administration to start work. During this weeks NATO meeting in Brussels‚ some nations showed hesitation about moving forward

Baiba Braže‚ Latviaʼs foreign minister (who used to work as a high-ranking NATO official) points out that while everyone agrees Ukraine will join someday; the timing and rules need more work. “A number of countries dont feel comfortable inviting a country at war to join NATO‚“ she explains — but Latvia takes a more open-minded view

The topic brings up different opinions among alliance members: some want to wait while others push forward. Latvia sees Ukraineʼs battle-tested forces as a real plus for NATO; their combat know-how could make the alliance stronger. The minister notes that political leaders have already agreed on Ukraineʼs future membership in-principle

The decision-making process faces several road-blocks: the upcoming change in US leadership‚ worries about accepting a country during war-time (which is pretty rare)‚ and different views from various NATO capitals. Some members want clear-cut rules; others like Latvia are ready to be more flexible about the whole thing