Peter Baker -- April 24, 2026
European allies left a closed session uncertain about the administration's position, while Ukraine's president pressed for written security guarantees.
President Donald Trump expressed 'significant scepticism' about Ukrainian NATO membership during a closed session with allied leaders, according to sources briefed on the meeting. The White House declined to characterise the president's remarks. The reported comments created uncertainty among European allies about the administration's position on a question the alliance has publicly described as settled.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg maintained publicly that Ukraine's path toward membership remained 'irreversible.' One European official said, however, that allies had left the closed session 'uncertain about where the administration stands,' suggesting a gap between official alliance language and the substance of private discussions.
Mr. Trump had not addressed Ukrainian NATO membership in public since taking office. A United States State Department spokesperson declined to characterise the president's remarks and said the American position on Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration was 'as stated in official communications.'
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky continued to press publicly for written security guarantees from Western partners during the same period, framing the request as a priority for his government.
European officials said they intended to seek further clarification from Washington on the administration's position, with several noting that ambiguity on the question carried significant implications for ongoing discussions about the alliance's posture toward Russia.