Rubio says Ukraine's NATO membership is not on the agenda for now

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that Ukraine's membership of NATO is not currently being discussed, as Washington focuses on ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Asked about the issue at a news conference in Reykjavik, the first stop of a European tour, Rubio said: "There is no yes or no answer here," adding that NATO membership "is not on the agenda right now."

He said the United States was focused solely on ending the conflict, and that Washington wanted to play a constructive role if it could help bring the fighting to a close. He added that a huge number of lives had already been lost.

Rubio said Ukraine's accession would require NATO members to reach consensus and then take a unanimous decision, a process that has not happened. He said the US was watching developments closely, and that events were currently not moving towards an end to the war.

Ukraine's air force said on 1 October that President Vladimir Putin had rejected a proposal for both sides to halt strikes on civilian ships and energy infrastructure, calling it incoherent to link a halt on attacks on Russian oil refineries to a halt on strikes against ships.

Ukrainian officials have argued that NATO membership would strengthen the alliance as a whole, since Ukraine's armed forces have gained unique combat experience fighting Russia. That practical knowledge of modern warfare, they say, could reinforce NATO's own defence capability and readiness across the continent.