Oleksii Reznikov said in an interview published on Friday that, in a sense, Ukraine was already a "member" of the Western military alliance because it had NATO weaponry and "the understanding of how to use it," the British public broadcaster reported.
"Ukraine as a country, and the armed forces of Ukraine, became a member of NATO, de facto, not de jure," Reznikov said, as quoted by the BBC.
He added: "I'm sure that in the near future we'll become a member of NATO, de jure (by law)."
Reznikov also told the BBC that he was sure Ukraine would soon receive long-sought weapons, such as tanks and fighter jets, and that it should prepare for a new offensive in the spring against Russia's invasion, according to the bbc.com website.
"Spring is the best period to refresh the movement for all sides," he said. "We understand they'll be ready to start and, surely, we have to be ready to start."
Friday is day 324 of Russia's war on Ukraine.