Rubio: Ukraine’s NATO membership is not currently on the agenda

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Ukraine’s membership of NATO is not currently on the agenda as “Washington focuses on efforts to end the war.”

“There is no simple yes or no answer to that question, other than to say that Ukraine’s membership in NATO is not currently on the agenda,” Rubio said.

He noted that NATO membership would require consensus and the unanimous agreement of all member states.

“For Ukraine, our focus at this stage is primarily on ending this conflict, if that is possible,” Rubio said.

He said the high number of casualties was regrettable and reiterated that the US wanted to play a constructive role if it could help bring the war to an end.