Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda made a strong statement on May 20, 2025, warning that NATO's reneging on its promise to accept Ukraine into its ranks would deal a serious blow to the Alliance's reputation. As reported by LRT, Nausėda stressed that at the last three NATO summits - in Vilnius (2023), Washington (2024) and Madrid (2022) - the Alliance members had clearly stated the prospects for Ukraine's membership.

"Now to just take all of this away would greatly undermine NATO's authority. It would be a huge blow to its reputation," — he said on air at the radio station Žinių Radijas.

The statement came amid preparations for the NATO summit in The Hague, which will take place on June 24–25, 2025.

Nauseda also insists on inviting Ukraine to the upcoming summit so that Kyiv can present its position. In his opinion, NATO membership is the most effective and cost-effective way to ensure Ukraine's security. He noted that annual discussions on financial and military support for Kyiv are facing political difficulties, and joining the Alliance could eliminate uncertainty.

“If so, great, but we have reason to believe that every year this process is accompanied by difficulties, and we do not know until the last minute whether we will be able to provide Ukraine with sufficient support,” — added the President of Lithuania.

Nauseda's statement was prompted by media reports about a possible refusal to invite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the summit in The Hague. As reported by ANSA on May 14, the United States allegedly opposes Zelensky's participation, which has caused concern in Kyiv and among Eastern European countries. However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied these rumors, saying that Washington is not against the presence of the Ukrainian delegation, and the decision rests with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.