Washington, October 7, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Ukraine’s membership in NATO is “not on the table” at present, stressing that Washington’s immediate priority is to find a way to end the war with Russia.
Speaking at a joint media availability with Icelandic Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir in Reykjavik, Rubio said there was no straightforward yes-or-no answer on Ukraine’s eventual NATO membership, pointing to the alliance’s requirement for consensus and unanimity.
“Ukraine, right now, NATO membership, as you know, is not on the table as we speak,” Rubio said.
He said the United States was currently focused on ending the conflict, if possible, while expressing concern over the continuing loss of life.
“We’ve been clear that if there’s a role we can play in bringing that war to an end, we want to play a constructive role,” Rubio said.
However, he indicated that Washington was not encouraged by the current trajectory of the conflict.
“We’re obviously watching the trend lines there and seeing that’s not the direction that it’s headed right now,” he said.
Rubio’s remarks came during broader discussions on security challenges in the Arctic and the High North, amid growing strategic competition in the region.
He said the international security environment had changed significantly over the past two decades, prompting the US to renew its focus on the Arctic after American forces were shifted elsewhere following the end of the US military’s enduring presence in Iceland in 2006.
Rubio described Iceland’s geographic position as strategically important to both European security and the defence of the US homeland.
He also said security challenges in the High North extend beyond conventional military threats, citing covert activities, risks to undersea cables and shipping routes, as well as economic and commercial developments with national security implications.
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