Czech Defense Staff chief Gen. Karel Řehka said that Ukraine should eventually join NATO, describing membership as the next “logical step” for European security. Speaking to Politico during the GLOBSEC forum in Prague on Thursday, Řehka said Ukraine had already proven itself not only as a recipient of security assistance but also as a contributor to European defense.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Ukraine is not just a security consumer, it’s also a security provider,” Řehka said. “I’m not saying it’s easy. At the end of the day, it’s about political consensus, but I think that’s the direction we should be heading to,” he added. Ukraine has sought NATO membership for years, though the issue faced resistance from countries including Germany and the US. According to Politico, the prospect of Ukrainian accession has largely fallen off the agenda since Donald Trump returned to the White House. Ukraine formally applied for fast-track NATO membership on Sept. 30, 2022. The application was signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky, Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk and then-Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. Kyiv had previously applied for a NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) during the 2008 Bucharest summit. The request was never formally withdrawn. At the NATO summit in Vilnius on July 11, 2023, alliance members agreed that Ukraine would eventually become a member without requiring a MAP.