Since Russia’s full-scale invasion last year, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna has been making regular trips to Brussels, lobbying hard to convince officials to give the country a path toward NATO membership.
"I'm literally coming to you from a country in war with two of my children remaining in Kyiv while I'm here in Brussels," Stefanishyna said. "We are standing and advocating for the momentum. These decisions should be taken. And this momentum is now."
Ukrainian officials say the country is already fighting with all kinds of Western-made weapons and has proved itself as the first line of defense for Western Europe.
And they have been waiting for NATO's door to open for many years.
In 2008, during their summit in Bucharest, Romania, NATO leaders promised that Ukraine would become a member of the alliance. But they stopped short of saying when and how — for fear of provoking Russia.
And some NATO countries are still cautious — among them, Germany.
"There are clear statements from NATO that Ukraine has its future in NATO," German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said, "but it is also clear to all concerned that the admission of a country that is at war is simply out of the question."
Here’s why: NATO nations take a collective defense pledge to protect each other in case of an attack. This promise, known as Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, is at the heart of the alliance.
So admitting Ukraine could put NATO into direct conflict with Russia.
But, if immediate membership is out of the question, why not offer Ukraine a road map to accession or make clear that membership will come after the war ends? That is what many of Ukraine’s biggest backers are pushing for.
"Ukraine should be a member of NATO alliance, because it's proof of our common security," Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said. "And, of course, we need to be united. So that's why we are open to discussion about this. In my opinion, we should present a path to reach this goal."
But in the meantime Ukraine is fighting a war. That’s why behind closed doors the US and some European nations are frantically working on security assurances they could individually offer, such as providing Ukraine with weapons, advanced technology and training when needed.
Those efforts are being closely watched by the Kremlin, which has always seen NATO’s growth as a threat to its own security, something the alliance denies.
For the time being, there appears to be no alternative to the fighting. For Ukraine, negotiating with Russia now would mean giving up territory and giving in to an unjustified land invasion.
Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna is determined to keep pushing — still hoping to see sooner rather than later Ukraine's flag raised at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels.