Biden Admin Targets Putin's Top Priority

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated on Monday that the pathway for Ukraine to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) "remains open" amid Russia's invasion.

During a joint press conference alongside NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the U.S. State Department, Blinken touted the alliance's "sense of urgency" in response to Moscow's aggression, which has unequivocally backed Kyiv's military since the war began. He also noted how Russia's actions have prompted historically neutral countries like Finland and Sweden to apply to join the Western bloc—Finland's application was officially approved in April, while Sweden's is still under review.

"In the wake of Moscow's renewed aggression against Ukraine, both countries felt that it was clearly in their interest to defend their people and defend their sovereignty by joining the Alliance," Blinken told reporters.

"I think the process that we've seen in record time, first with Finland, and now with Sweden, demonstrates that NATO's door is open and remains open, including to Ukraine, which will become a member of NATO," he added.

President Joe Biden has repeatedly stated that Ukraine will become a member of NATO following the country's war with Russia, including last month during a joint press conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, where the president told reporters that NATO "will be in Ukraine's future, no question."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed the West's influence in Ukraine—which officially stated its intention to join the NATO alliance in 2019—for pushing Moscow to invade its neighbor. The Kremlin has also said that the war cannot end until Russia achieves neutrality in Ukraine.

Blinken said on Monday that Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO "also underscores one of the many ways in which Putin's aggression against Ukraine has been an abject strategic failure for Russia."

"[Putin] wanted to shrink NATO. It is now larger and getting larger still," he added. "He wanted to weaken NATO. It is stronger than it's ever been."

Newsweek reached out to Russia's foreign ministry via email for comment on Monday evening.

Stoltenberg during Monday's press conference also stressed NATO's unity in light of Russia's aggression, reiterating that the alliance will stand beside Kyiv until the war is brought to an end.

"President Putin started this war and he could end it today if he stopped attacking a neighbor," Stoltenberg told reporters. "The war could also end if Ukraine stopped defending itself. But that would not mean peace. It would mean Russian occupation and occupation is not peace."

"Just peace will require President Putin to realize that he will not get what he wants on the battlefield ... So if we want a last thing, just peace, we must provide Ukraine with more weapons and ammunition weapons to Ukraine is the path to peace," the NATO chief added.

"To NATO, the U.S. has more friends and allies than any other power," Stoltenberg said. "Together, we make up 50 percent of the world's economic and military might. China and Russia have nothing like NATO. It is why they always tried to undermine our unity."

Update 1/29/24, 6:11 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and background.