Fact check: Biden wanted ukraine to join nato.

1. Summary of the results

The analyses provide strong support for the claim that Biden wanted Ukraine to join NATO. Multiple sources confirm Biden's public statements backing Ukrainian NATO membership, with direct quotes showing his position ^{[1] [2]}. Specifically, Biden stated "Ukraine's future lies at NATO" and his administration eliminated requirements for the Membership Action Plan for Ukraine, creating a clear path to NATO membership ^[1].

Biden also personally assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Ukraine's bid to join NATO was "in its own hands," demonstrating active support for their membership aspirations ^[3]. The sources indicate Biden had "long-standing support for Ukraine's membership in the alliance" ^[2], suggesting this was not a recent policy shift but a consistent position.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original statement lacks several crucial pieces of context that complicate the narrative:

• Internal skepticism: Despite public support, some sources suggest Biden may have had private reservations about Ukrainian NATO membership ^[4], indicating potential tension between public statements and private concerns.
• Current policy shifts: The analyses reveal that Pete Hegseth, the current US Secretary of Defense, has ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine, calling it "unrealistic" and stating that Europe must be responsible for Ukraine's security ^[5]. This represents a significant departure from Biden's position.
• Strategic motivations: The push for Ukrainian NATO membership benefits multiple parties - Ukrainian leadership gains security guarantees and legitimacy, while NATO expansion advocates in Washington gain geopolitical influence over Russia ^[4].
• Timing and implementation: While Biden supported the concept, the sources show he framed membership as being "in Ukraine's hands" rather than as an immediate US priority ^[3], suggesting conditional rather than unconditional support.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement, while factually accurate, presents an oversimplified view that could be misleading:

• Lacks temporal context: The statement doesn't specify that this was Biden's position during his presidency, which has since changed under the current administration ^[5].
• Omits complexity: It fails to acknowledge the nuanced nature of Biden's support, which included conditions and may have involved private skepticism despite public backing ^[4].
• Missing current developments: The statement doesn't reflect that US policy has shifted, with current leadership explicitly rejecting Ukrainian NATO membership as unrealistic ^[5].

The statement appears designed to present Biden's position as more straightforward than the evidence suggests, potentially serving political narratives that either criticize Biden for escalating tensions with Russia or praise him for supporting Ukrainian sovereignty, depending on the audience's perspective.