TBILISI, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- A senior Georgian lawmaker on Wednesday called for a realistic and pragmatic approach to NATO membership, noting that the alliance's eastward enlargement is unlikely in the near future, TV Imedi reported.

Nikoloz Samkharadze, chair of the Georgian parliament's Foreign Relations Committee, argued that the long-held perception of NATO as an ever-expanding alliance was no longer valid, citing Ukraine's effective exclusion from membership as evidence.

Referring to the U.S. National Security Strategy, Samkharadze noted that the document underscores the need to abandon "illusions" about continuous NATO enlargement, particularly in light of Ukraine's stalled bid for membership.

The parliamentary official pointed to Ukraine's situation as indicative of the broader shift in NATO's enlargement policy. He emphasized that given Washington's decisive role within the alliance, Georgia should prepare for a prolonged period without membership prospects.

"We see that Ukraine was effectively denied NATO membership, so we should not harbor the illusion that the same will not apply to Georgia. We must approach this issue realistically and pragmatically," he said.

Echoing his comments, Levan Makhashvili, chair of the Georgian parliament's Committee on European Integration, said that the latest U.S. National Security Strategy has closed the door on NATO's eastern enlargement. Enditem