Ukraine’s aspirations for NATO membership have been set back once again, with the alliance stating that the country needs to take ‘additional steps’ before membership talks can begin.

A senior official in the US State Department highlighted corruption as a major hurdle for Ukraine's NATO membership. They told the Telegraph, ‘We have to step back and applaud everything that Ukraine has done in the name of reforms over the last two-plus years. As they continue to make those reforms, we want to commend them, we want to talk about additional steps that need to be taken, particularly in the area of anti-corruption. It is a priority for many of us around the table.’

Despite ongoing efforts to address corruption within Ukraine, including a significant investigation in 2023, NATO membership remains distant. The previous anti-corruption crackdown led to the resignation of several senior Ukrainian officials after President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to overhaul the government amid allegations of corruption during the war with Russia.

Although Ukraine's NATO aspirations seem remote, there is some positive news. NATO allies agreed today (3/7/24) to aim for at least €40 billion ($43 billion) in annual military aid for Ukraine, though they stopped short of making explicit long-term commitments, according to alliance diplomats.

This outcome falls short of providing Kyiv with the desired predictability over future aid. Despite initial support for a multi-year funding proposal by outgoing NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, several allies found it politically and legally challenging to commit to a specific figure for future years.