- V. Zelensky talks again about NATO membership
- He sees no more security guarantees
- Major countries are wary of Ukraine's invitation to join NATO
V. Zelensky talks again about NATO membership
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with CBN that Ukraine should receive a formal invitation to join NATO if it is to truly end the war.
"The claim that Ukraine seeks to involve NATO (in the war with Russia - 77) is not true. That's why we wanted an invitation (to NATO - 77), and we know that in the face of war we will not be accepted into NATO. But if we really want to end the war, we must give Ukraine (an invitation - 77).
"The invitation must cover the entire territory of Ukraine, within internationally recognized borders. There is nothing more to say here because this is our constitution and international law... However, the Alliance's actions could be limited to the part controlled by Ukraine and could be expanded in the future," said Mr Zelensky.
He sees no more security guarantees
According to the President, NATO is the only "global umbrella" and security guarantee at the moment.
The Ukrainian President recalled that the country has already concluded almost 20 bilateral agreements on security guarantees. They cover financial, humanitarian, health, energy, and other aid, sky protection, and arms and sanctions policies. However, he stressed that NATO is currently the most effective security guarantee model for border protection.
V. Zelensky added that inviting Ukraine to join NATO would be a first step that would not amount to membership. This, in his view, implies an honest relationship, an honest answer to the question of whether Ukraine will eventually become a NATO member. This step would send a clear signal to the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, that Ukraine will be part of the Alliance.
At the same time, the Head of State stressed that Ukraine understands that joining NATO is impossible while a war is raging on its territory and "does not want to involve troops from other countries in this war".
Major countries are wary of Ukraine's invitation to join NATO
As reported by Ukrinform, Politico, citing four US and NATO officials, wrote that Germany and the US are among the major powers in no hurry to invite Ukraine to join NATO.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told reporters during US President Joe Biden's visit to Berlin last week:
"We are doing everything possible to ensure that NATO does not become a country at war, that this war does not become a much bigger disaster."
Hungary and Slovakia also oppose such a move - because their current leaders have a fundamentally pro-Kremlin stance.
One NATO official said countries such as Belgium, Slovenia, and Spain are "hiding" behind the US and Germany and remain reluctant to invite Ukraine into NATO. Another official added that these countries support the idea in the abstract, but as soon as it gets closer to implementation, they will start to oppose it more publicly.
The Baltic States and Poland are among the few countries more enthusiastic about inviting Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the latter favors "opening up the prospect of NATO membership to Ukraine."
However, officials interviewed by Politico stressed that neither the US nor Germany has ruled out Ukraine joining the Alliance.
Based on ELTA reports
