NATO member states issued a statement on Ukraine’s NATO membership at the alliance’s annual summit on Tuesday. They declared that “the future of Ukraine rests with NATO.” Ukraine may also skip a step on its way to applying for membership. Earlier, Finland and Sweden also waived the so-called Member Action Plan (MAP).

NATO’s commitment has never been more tangible. Some member states, such as the United States and Germany, have warned that accelerating Ukraine’s accession to NATO could lead to NATO’s direct military involvement in the war. The majority of NATO countries agree that war must first end.

There are also concerns about Ukraine that are not related to the war. US President Joe Biden had already announced before the summit that Ukraine was not yet ready for membership. According to him, it must first democratize and fight corruption better.

Much to Ukraine’s disappointment, the Vilnius Summit did not result in a clear list of areas for improvement, and it remains unclear what the invitation and membership timeline will look like.