Britain supports Ukraine joining NATO and “that path is open to them,” although political realities may slow the process, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said on Friday on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Reuters reported.

He made it clear that it was impossible to host countries in the midst of war, and that the way forward was to continue to aid and arm Ukraine for both short-term and long-term security.

“The best thing we can do to help Ukraine now is to help it defeat Russia. After that, you need to make sure they are ready, capable and resilient,” Wallace said in an interview.

The question of Ukraine joining NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is on the agenda of the group’s July summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Volodymyr Zelenskyi said that Ukraine wants a “clear decision” regarding its accession to the summit.

Hanna Shelest, director of the Ukrainian Prism think tank, which specializes in foreign policy and international security, said in Singapore that joining NATO would be a political decision.

“We do not expect a firm decision (on Ukraine’s accession) to be made in Vilnius. But at least we hope for a detailed road map,” Shelest said.

Britain, along with other Western allies, provided billions of dollars in aid and arms to Ukraine after the Russian invasion.

London recently fielded Storm Shadow cruise missiles, which Wallace said had a 100 percent hit rate.

Security guarantees for Ukraine are also under consideration, Wallace said, noting that those guarantees could range from mutual defense agreements to the provision of arms and ammunition.

There are several drawbacks to this, he added.

Wallace, whose name has been floated as a possible successor to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, said he “wouldn’t turn down the job if offered” but that the decision was up to member states.