Latvia claims that NATO nations are waiting on Trump to decide whether to invite Ukraine

Latvia’s foreign minister stated on Tuesday that several NATO countries are delaying their decisions over Ukraine’s request for an invitation to join the U.S.-led transatlantic alliance until after the new U.S. administration takes office.

At a conference in Brussels this week, Kyiv has encouraged NATO foreign ministers to extend an invitation; however, given resistance from several capitals and the Washington changeover, progress seems doubtful.

The U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has declared that he will put a stop to Russia’s conflict against Ukraine within a day, but it is still unclear what his team’s plans are for Ukraine policy.

On the fringes of the summit, Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže told Reuters, “As political leaders, we have agreed in principle that Ukraine will be a member.”

“What conditions when is the problem, and that is clearly where the alliance needs to unite. I believe it is one part that is expressed or unspoken, but it is a truth that all allies are currently waiting for the new U.S. administration to begin working.”

Former top NATO official Braže stated that her nation would support inviting Ukraine to join if the matter came up and that Ukraine’s combat-trained force would be a benefit to NATO.

“We are more flexible,” the minister stated, adding that other nations may not feel comfortable inviting a warring nation to join NATO.