Russia urges NATO to renounce 2008 Bucharest Summit promise on Georgia, Ukraine

Russia has urged NATO to officially reject the promise made at the 2008 Bucharest summit that Georgia and Ukraine would eventually become members of the alliance.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova emphasized that merely refusing Ukraine’s NATO membership is insufficient and that the alliance must formally abandon its previous commitment.

“It is worth noting that refusing to accept Kyiv into NATO is not enough,” Zakharova said. “The alliance must reject the 2008 Bucharest promise.”

At the April 2008 summit, NATO leaders declared that Georgia and Ukraine would one day join the organization but did not set a specific timeline or provide an immediate action plan for membership.

Moscow has consistently opposed NATO’s expansion, viewing it as a direct threat to Russian security. The demand to renounce the 2008 declaration comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West, particularly over the ongoing war in Ukraine and security concerns in the region.