WASHINGTON. May 2 (Interfax) - A decision on when Ukraine could become a NATO member should be taken collectively by all members of the alliance, not by the United States alone, U.S. Department of State spokesman Vedant Patel said.
"This obviously is a collective decision, and it would be something for the entire alliance to determine," Patel said at a press briefing after being asked to comment on French media reports that the U.S. is among the countries that have expressed the most pessimistic views during preparations for the NATO summit in Vilnius as regards the possibility of promptly inviting Kiev to join the alliance.
Patel also reaffirmed that Washington remains committed to NATO's open door policy.