According to the German magazine Spiegel, during North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) talks in Brussels on Tuesday 3 December 2024, Luxembourg’s foreign minister (DP) concerns that Ukraine’s membership in Nato could lead to further conflict. However, he reiterated his support for Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union.

Bettel was quoted by Spiegel as saying, “I believe that Nato membership will lead to tensions again.”

The Ukrainian delegation attended the Nato foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, reinforcing Ukraine’s position. Ahead of the summit, Ukrainian officials made it clear that they view Nato membership as the only real guarantee of security, particularly in the event of a ceasefire with Russia. Given the ongoing war with Moscow, Ukraine has increasingly sought formal security assurances from Nato, aiming to secure its safety after years of military conflict.

Bettel was the Nato foreign ministers’ meeting, which is taking place in Brussels, Belgium, on 3 and 4 December 2024.

A spokesperson for the ministry told Paperjam on Wednesday 4 December that Bettel, in his doorstep statement ahead of the Nato meeting, “noted that there is currently no consensus among the allies to issue an invitation to Ukraine to join Nato.” Bettel stressed that, given the situation on the ground, the priority now is to provide Ukraine with all the battlefield support possible. He reaffirmed Luxembourg’s commitment to Ukraine’s path to Nato, as agreed at previous summits, particularly the Nato Summit in 2023. The spokesperson also clarified that the Spiegel report is likely a ‘misunderstanding’ and referred to the full statement on Nato’s official site.