Defying Trump, U.S. Senators Call for NATO to Put Ukraine’s Membership on the Table Ahead of Summit

As NATO leaders prepare to gather in The Hague for a pivotal summit next week, members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee have issued a bipartisan call to reassess the alliance’s posture toward Ukraine—including a stronger push for its eventual membership. At a hearing this week, lawmakers warned that Russia’s war has already changed the security landscape of Europe, and that Ukraine’s formal inclusion in NATO should now be seriously considered.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), co-chair of the Senate NATO Observer Group, made one of the strongest arguments for deepening Ukraine’s role in the alliance.

“They have the largest army in Europe, the most experienced army in Europe at this point. We’re developing cutting-edge countermeasures based on Ukraine’s real-time experience against Russian systems,” she said.

Her remarks reflected growing consensus among some members of Congress that Ukraine is no longer merely a partner but an active contributor to European defense.

The Senate hearing came amid rising concern that the United States is stepping back from its traditional leadership role in Europe’s security architecture, with the US President constantly lobbying for the interests of the Russian dictator. Officials from the Trump administration have already warned allies that major shifts in U.S. troop rotations and commitments could come soon, even as they attempt to reassure NATO of continued American involvement.

The upcoming June 24–25 NATO summit is expected to focus on strengthening the alliance’s military readiness, especially along its eastern flank. Baltic nations, who have long feared Russian aggression, are urging their allies to accelerate both military aid to Ukraine and political steps toward its integration into NATO. For countries like Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, Ukraine’s survival is not just a matter of solidarity—it’s a buffer that protects them directly.

Republican Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), the committee’s ranking member, echoed Shaheen’s urgency, describing Putin’s actions as self-defeating.

“The mistakes he’s made have actually done a lot to strengthen NATO, not the least of which is to add two new members,”

he said, referring to Finland and Sweden, whose NATO accession was fast-tracked after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Shaheen went further, warning that if Russia is not stopped in Ukraine, its ambitions will not end there.

“He’s already sent troops into Belarus and threatens the Balkans, the Baltic states and the Black Sea,” she said. “Russia’s ambitions also continue to play out over our own borders—through the Kremlin’s repeated attacks on our financial institutions and energy infrastructure.”

She also criticized the Trump administration’s refusal to lower the oil price cap on Russian exports—a policy she argued would increase pressure on Moscow’s war economy. Calling for new sanctions legislation, Shaheen concluded that Ukraine’s future in NATO must be seriously addressed.

“We shouldn’t stop there, and NATO membership should be on the table for Ukraine,” she said.

With Trump falling further into Putin’s grip, and while NATO prepares for its most consequential summit in years, the U.S. debate over Ukraine’s role in the alliance is shifting. Contrary to the views of the Trump administration, lawmakers appear ready to treat Ukraine not as a peripheral ally—but as a future member whose battlefield resilience is already shaping the alliance’s future.