Ukraine’s inclusion in NATO ‘impossible’ before war ends, says Zelensky – International

2023-06-02 20:32:00

Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky acknowledged this Friday (2) that it would be “impossible” for his country to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) – something Kiev insists on – before the end of the war with Russia.

“Joining NATO is the best guarantee of security for Ukraine […] but we understand that we are not going to drag a single NATO country into a war,” Zelensky declared during a joint press conference with his Estonian counterpart, Alar Karis.

“For that reason, we understand that we will not become members of NATO, while this war lasts. Not because we don’t want to, but because it is impossible,” he added.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Zelensky has been pressuring its European neighbors for his country to join the Atlantic Alliance and the European Union as quickly as possible.

On Thursday (1), the Ukrainian president asked European leaders, gathered at a summit in Moldova, to strengthen their support for Ukraine and put aside “doubts” about Ukraine’s membership of the military alliance.

Although, in principle, the eventual accession of the former Soviet republic has been favorable, the organization has not yet announced any timetable in this regard, for fear of an escalation with Moscow.

In April of this year, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine’s priority should be winning the war.

The entity intends to discuss the question of this possible incorporation during the summit that takes place in July in Lithuania.

Several Western countries already provide billions of dollars in military and financial aid to Ukraine, crucial to its war efforts.