Ukraine's application for NATO accession came as a surprise to President Joe Biden's administration, Politico reported, citing two unnamed U.S. officials.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, when talking to Politico, declined to explicitly endorse the bid, but said she supports a "security guarantee" for Kyiv. "We are very committed to democracy in Ukraine," Pelosi said.
"Let’s win this war. But I would be for them having a security guarantee," she added.
Ukraine applied for fast-track NATO accession on Sept. 30 hours after Russian dictator Vladimir Putin said Russia formally annexed Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson oblasts.
Commenting on Ukraine's NATO application, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that America supports an "open-door policy" on joining the military alliance, but added that Ukraine's NATO membership "should be taken up at a different time."
Three hours after Putin's announcement, on Sept. 30, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the Alliance would continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes. But Stoltenberg emphasized that "NATO is not part of the conflict."
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