KYIV — President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged NATO on Wednesday to ship Ukraine a transparent sign at a summit subsequent month that it could possibly be a part of the navy alliance when Russia’s battle on his nation ends.
In a speech to parliament on Ukraine’s Constitution Day, Zelenskiy instructed world leaders ought to cease fascinated by how Moscow would react when taking choices about Ukraine, and described Russia’s political and navy leaders as “bandits.”
He then set out what Kyiv expects of the July 11–12 NATO summit in Lithuania after holding talks within the Ukrainian capital with Polish President Andrzej Duda and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.
“We understand that we cannot be a member of NATO during the war, but we need to be sure that after the war we will be,” Zelenskiy informed a joint press convention.
“That is the signal we want to get: that after the war Ukraine will be a member of NATO.”
Zelenskiy mentioned Kyiv additionally hoped to obtain safety ensures on the summit to assist defend Ukraine till it’s accepted as a NATO member.
Duda mentioned Poland and Lithuania had been doing all they might to assist Ukraine safe its targets as quickly as potential. The two international locations are massive supporters of Ukraine, and Vilnius is shopping for NASAMS air protection techniques for Kyiv from a Norwegian firm.
“We are trying to ensure that the decisions made at the summit clearly indicate the perspective of membership. We are conducting talks on this issue with our allies,” Duda mentioned.
Though Ukraine needs to hitch as shortly as potential, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is split over how briskly that step ought to be taken.
Obstacles to NATO membership
Western governments such because the United States and Germany are cautious of strikes they concern might take the alliance nearer to coming into an energetic battle with Russia, which has lengthy seen NATO’s enlargement into jap Europe as proof of Western hostility.
“Some states and world leaders still, unfortunately, look back at Russia when making their own decisions,” Zelenskiy mentioned in his speech to parliament. “This can be called an absurd and shameful self-limitation of sovereignty, because Ukrainians proved that Russia should not be feared.”
Russia has occupied swathes of territory in jap and southern Ukraine, however Kyiv has launched a counteroffensive to attempt to retake that land. Zelenskiy reiterated that Kyiv wouldn’t settle for any peace proposals that might lock in Russian good points and switch the battle right into a frozen battle.
Some NATO states have expressed concern in regards to the arrival of Yevgeny Prigozhin, chief of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, in Belarus after main an aborted mutiny.
Prigozhin has gone into exile in Belarus, Ukraine’s northern neighbor, and Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned Wagner fighters could be supplied the selection of relocating there.
“The presence of the Wagner Group in Belarus is a very significant signal which, in our opinion, NATO should definitely pay attention to,” Nauseda mentioned. “Questions arise as to why these troops were relocated there. A group of experienced mercenaries can always pose a potential danger.”
Duda mentioned Poland will strengthen safety on its border with Belarus if it must.
Zelenskiy quoted Ukraine’s military as saying the state of affairs in northern Ukraine was unchanged and underneath management. — Reuters
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
