The NATO military bloc is unlikely to bypass the existing rules to fast-track the accession of Ukraine to the alliance, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin has told Sputnik.
"I think not," the official said when asked whether it would be possible for the alliance to fast-track Ukraine's accession to NATO by bypassing the existing procedures.
In late September 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was applying to join NATO in an accelerated path to membership. However, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said Ukraine's full membership in the alliance is impossible until after the Ukraine conflict ends.
US Permanent Envoy to NATO Julianne Smith said in late April that Zelensky would be invited to the upcoming NATO summit in Washington this summer as Ukraine would be a key topic there, but added that she does not expect the military bloc to invite Kiev to join the alliance at the summit. Stoltenberg also said in April he did not expect an agreement on Ukraine's membership in the alliance at the upcoming summit.