Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Kyiv is ready to give up NATO membership if there is a ceasefire, Russian forces withdraw and his country’s security is guaranteed.
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In an interview with state television on Wednesday, Zelensky said that his country’s move was aimed at achieving consensus among “the West, which does not know what it will do with regard to Ukraine’s accession to NATO.”
And between Ukraine, which wants to ensure its security, and Russia, which rejects the expansion of the alliance.
He stressed that Ukraine is ready to abandon the idea of joining NATO in the event that Russian forces withdrew from its territory and a ceasefire was established and his country’s security was guaranteed.
The Ukrainian president renewed his call for direct talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
He added that it is not possible to understand whether Russia wants to end the war or not without meeting with Putin, as he put it.
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On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine, which was followed by angry international reactions and the imposition of “tough” economic and financial sanctions on Moscow.
To end the operation, Russia requires Ukraine to abandon any plans to join military entities, including NATO, and to adhere to complete neutrality, which Kyiv considers an “interference in its sovereignty.”
