Published: 12:24, April 5, 2025
NATO Chief: Ukraine's membership not part of peace deal
By Xinhua
(From left) French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy pose before a meeting at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Friday, April 4, 2025. (PHOTO / POOL VIA AP)

BRUSSELS – NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte clarified here on Friday that Ukraine's potential NATO membership will not be included as part of any peace agreement.

Speaking at a press conference following a NATO foreign ministers meeting, Rutte reaffirmed that member states had agreed at last year's Washington summit that Ukraine's accession to the alliance is "irreversible".

ALSO READ: Ukraine says ready to end conflict in exchange for NATO membership

He, however, emphasized that there was never a promise to Ukraine to include NATO membership in any peace deal.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte addresses a media conference after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, April 4, 2025. (PHOTO / AP)

The two-day meeting also saw concerns raised over sweeping new US tariffs announced by President Donald Trump.

READ MORE: Trump says Ukraine can 'forget about' joining NATO

Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide warned on Thursday that such tariffs could contradict NATO's founding principles.

He suggested that economic measures undermining trade among NATO allies risk weakening the alliance as a whole.