Ukraine-Russia war – live: US comments on Kyiv’s Nato membership prospects after cluster munitions deal

The White House weighed in on Ukraine’s potential Nato membership shortly after announcing that it will send controversial cluster munitions to the eastern European country. The munitions will be sent for the first time amid Ukraine’s ongoing war against Russia, as the conflict enters its 500th day this weekend and ahead of a Nato summit to be held next week in Lithuania. Turkey president Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky that his country ‘deserves’ to be in the Western bloc. White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan on Friday said the upcoming summit will underscore Nato’s readiness to consider Ukraine’s membership. Mr Sullivan, however, said Ukraine “will not be joining Nato coming out of this summit”. Meanwhile, he said Kyiv has “provided written assurances” that it would use the controversial weapons “in a very careful way that is aimed at minimising any risk to civilians”. A senior Ukrainian official previously said Ukraine would welcome the munitions from the US as they would have an “extraordinary psycho-emotional impact” on Russian forces. Read More US will provide Ukraine with cluster munitions, White House says Why the US is willing to send Ukraine cluster munitions now What are cluster munitions? The controversial weapons US will send to Ukraine How many casualties has Russia suffered in Ukraine?