(CNN)Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dropped his clearest implication yet that he doesn’t expect his country to join NATO any time soon.
In comments made during a video-linked address to leaders of the British-led Joint Expeditionary Force on Tuesday, Zelensky appeared to be moving further away from what until recently was seen as a key Ukrainian target.
“For years we have heard that the door is supposedly open (to NATO membership) but now we are hearing that we cannot enter. And it’s true, and it needs to be acknowledged,” he said.
“I’m glad that our employees are beginning to understand this and rely on themselves and our partners to support us,” he added.
NATO, a security alliance of 30 North American and European nations, was formed in 1949 in response to the start of the Cold War. Its original purpose was to protect the West from the threat posed by the Soviet Union.
Since the end of the Cold War, many former Soviet satellite nations have joined NATO, meaning Russia now shares a land border with the world’s largest military alliance, dampening Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s geopolitical ambitions in what was once Moscow’s sphere of influence.
Ukraine’s desire to join NATO and its status as a NATO partner – seen as a step towards eventual full membership – were among the numerous grievances Putin cited to justify his country’s invasion of its neighbor .
Although the alliance has always had an “open door policy”, meaning that any European country ready and willing to take on the commitments and obligations of membership is welcome to apply, experts and officials have stressed that membership is a lengthy process.
It’s not a concession, Blinken says
In an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, US Secretary of State Tony Blinken called it a “reflection on reality” for Zelenskyy to signal today that he would not join NATO any time soon.
“I don’t think that’s a concession. I think, first of all, it is a reflection of reality that even before this aggression by Russia, Ukraine would not be accepted into NATO tomorrow. All the more reason why, as we saw with Putin, saying that their concerns about Ukraine were focused on their NATO membership, that was wrong. That was a lie,” said Blinken.
Blinken said Putin has shown that this war in Ukraine is about “denying Ukraine its independent existence.”
Blinken called US support to Ukraine “extraordinary” and said support would continue “to ensure Ukraine has the means to defend itself”.
President Joe Biden is expected to unveil a new military aid package for Ukraine, including anti-tank missiles, as soon as Wednesday after Zelenskyy’s speech to Congress, according to officials familiar with the plans.
The new aid will stop short of the no-fly zone or fighter jets, Zelenskyy said, which are necessary to keep Ukraine’s fight against Russia going.
But the new aid will include more of the defensive weapons the US has already provided, including javelins and stingers.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on the announcement of the aid.
Add Comment