Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha emphasized that Ukraine will accept no security guarantees other than full NATO membership, calling it the only effective deterrent against Russian aggression.

In a letter to NATO counterparts, Sybiha criticized past agreements like the 1994 Budapest Memorandum as ineffective and urged correcting the “strategic mistake” of not providing Ukraine with real security guarantees.

The statement comes as NATO foreign ministers meet in Brussels, though no progress on Ukraine’s membership is expected, Politico has reported.

Ukrainian officials express diminishing hope for near-term NATO accession, with U.S. leaders proposing delays of up to 20 years.

Written by B.C. Begley