German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has said that now is not the best time for NATO to decide on Ukraine's membership.

According to DW, the German Defence Minister believes that the war is an obstacle to discussing Ukraine's accession to NATO.

"The door is ajar, but now is not the time to decide on this issue," Pistorius said, adding that this option cannot be seriously discussed while Russia's war against Ukraine continues.

The minister noted that NATO should "carefully" weigh any step toward Ukraine's inclusion in the Alliance.

"You have to make decisions with a cool head and a warm heart, not the other way around," he said.

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visited Kyiv on Thursday and expressed support for Ukraine's accession to the Alliance.

He said that NATO member states were preparing to discuss Ukraine's membership and security guarantees at the July summit in Vilnius, but the main issue was to ensure Ukraine's victory in the war.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously stated that Ukraine would not accept any alternative proposals that could replace NATO membership.