NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said that Ukraine's membership in the alliance is not currently on the agenda and named four countries that are holding back the process. Source: Rutte speaking after an address at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in the US on 9 April, as reported by Ukrinform and Interfax-Ukraine Quote: "So at the NATO summit in Washington, when NATO was celebrating its75 years, there was an agreement on the irreversible path of Ukraine into NATO. But also the fact of the matter is that a couple of countries are holding back, including Germany and Slovakia, Hungary, the United States. So I don't think it is on the table right now." Details: Rutte also said he does not expect the issue of Ukraine's NATO membership to be resolved politically at a collective level in the short term. "I think that's the fair assessment," he added. According to the secretary general, the alliance is currently seeking to learn from Ukraine's wartime experience and incorporate it into NATO's defence planning. Rutte also referred to the international activity of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, noting that he had visited countries in the Middle East to help Gulf states counter drone threats from Iran. Quote: "Particularly when it comes to drones and anti-drone technology, of course, you are the masters. Zelenskyy wisely travelled to the Middle East to help Middle Eastern Gulf countries now with dealing with the drone threat from Iran." Background: According to polls, 68.9% of Ukrainians support Ukraine's accession to NATO, while over 40% do not trust the alliance. A NATO delegation led by Supreme Allied Commander Transformation Admiral Pierre Vandier visited Ukraine in March, marking the first visit of an official of this level since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!