Biden says Ukraine hasn't met NATO membership criteria

President Biden said Monday that Ukraine had yet to meet standards required to join NATO but would receive necessary support from the alliance amid rising tensions with Russia.

"It depends on whether they meet the criteria. The fact is, they still have to clean up corruption. The fact is, they still have to meet other criteria to get into the action plan. You know, school’s out on that question. It remains to be seen," Biden said.  "In the meantime, we will do all we can to put Ukraine in a position to be able to continue to resist Russia’s physical aggression. It will not just depend on me whether or not we conclude that Ukraine can become part of NATO, it will depend on the alliance and how they vote," he added. Earlier Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Biden to provide a "yes or no" answer as to whether he supported Ukraine’s entrance into NATO. Russia has long denied that it has an active military presence within Ukraine, though tensions have remained high in recent months as Russian troops massed near the border.