Biden Says Ukraine Is Not Ready for NATO Membership

President Biden said in an interview that aired on Sunday that Ukraine was not ready for membership in NATO and that it was “premature” to begin the process to allow Ukraine to join the alliance in the middle of a war.

In an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Mr. Biden said that he did not “think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now,” and that the process could take place only after a peace agreement with Russia was in place.

“If the war is going on, then we’re all in war,” Mr. Biden said, referring to the alliance’s commitment to mutual defense. “We’re at war with Russia, if that were the case.” He added that there would be “other qualifications that need to be met, including democratization,” for Ukraine to be considered for membership.

The president began a trip to Europe on Sunday that will include attending a NATO summit in Lithuania, where Russia’s war in Ukraine — and a decision last week by the United States to supply Kyiv with weapons that are banned by most of its allies — will be a main focus.