How can I cover wallpaper in my kitchen without stripping/repapering?

If you paint the wall paper it will be much more difficult to take off in the future and seams and such will show through.. You could strip and then paint.

You’ll need to remove the wallpaper first. If you don’t you’ll have an inferior result. One consideration is that the seams between the pieces of wallpaper will be very pronounced. When it’s on the wall you don’t see the lines very well because of the wallpaper pattern.

Seal all seams, clean, then prime and paint. If there are any loose spots or tears, it will be ugly and so much harder to remove. If you are interested in removing, it isn't difficult but it does take a bit of time & patience. It took me a week after work (6 -10 nightly) to remove it from a 16 x 32 room using this method.

Peel as much as possible from the walls.

If you can't get to the backing, you may need to score the paper with a tool. Paper Tiger is easy to find. Light pressure because you don't want to damage the wall behind the paper.

Mix 50/50 fabric softener & warm water in a spray bottle or garden sprayer. I've read that vinegar is as effective but I have never used it.

Allow the mixture to sit for 5 - 10 minutes so that it saturates the adhesive on the paper backing.

Scrape with a plastic scraper.

Once it is all removed, wash the walls with warm soapy water (blue Dawn is my go-to) and a microfiber cloth.

You could add ship lap or paneling over the wallpaper.