Ukraine’s NATO membership is a security guarantee for Europe, Zelenskyy says
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine’s membership in NATO could be one way out of the war. In his view, this is in the interests not only of Kyiv, but of all Europe.
He made the remarks while speaking to journalists at the annual YES meeting in Kyiv, organised by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, European Pravda reports, Censor.NET says.
NATO membership as a path to ending the war
Asked whether he believes in Ukraine’s future membership in NATO, Zelenskyy stressed that this issue must be discussed constantly. According to him, membership in the Alliance could be one way out of the protracted war.
"Ukraine in NATO is a security guarantee for Europe, because there is no army in Europe as strong as Ukraine’s yet," he said.
The President also drew attention to the debate in the United States over the future role of US troops in Europe: whether the United States will increase its presence on the continent due to the Russian threat or reduce it.
Zelenskyy cited the strengthening of NATO itself through Ukraine’s accession as another argument. This concerns not only weaponry, but also Ukrainian military technology, combat experience and the army’s capabilities.
On "security guarantees" for Russia
The President also mentioned the issue of security guarantees for Russia. According to him, after talks with Russia, the US side often returns with the position that Ukraine could receive guarantees from the United States and financial support from Europe, while Russia raises the issue of guarantees for itself.
"On the one hand, it sounds strange that the aggressor asks what security guarantees it will receive. Yes, but it also shows that they no longer feel as strong as they once did, or as strong as they believed themselves to be at the start of the war," Zelenskyy said.
- He believes that Ukraine’s NATO membership would create a certain "guarantee" for Russia, as Ukraine would be unable to seek the return of the occupied territories by military means, and territorial issues would have to be resolved diplomatically.
"Therefore, in my opinion, the NATO issue is relevant for all parties. I believe that the issue of NATO and the EU could be one way out of this terrible war," the Head of State added.
