German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated in an interview with public broadcaster ZDF that Ukraine's NATO accession process is not currently on the agenda. Despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's insistence on a quick integration into NATO, Scholz mentioned that it is necessary to first discuss the security guarantees that can be offered to Ukraine once the conflict ends.
For his part, Zelensky acknowledged the need to work closely with Germany to find common ground. The Ukrainian president believes that the upcoming November elections in the United States could mark a significant change on this issue, as countries like France, the United Kingdom, and Italy seem to support extending a formal invitation to Ukraine.
"It is important to assume that a country at war cannot integrate into NATO," Scholz commented, emphasizing the current situation of the conflict in Ukraine as a determining factor for possible accession to the Atlantic Alliance.