Kyiv, Ukraine – Ukraine is seeking “accelerated ascent” to NATO, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday, in an apparent response to Russia’s decision to illegally annex four of the partially occupied regions of the country
The remarks were more symbolic than practical: Ukraine’s quick admission to the alliance would require members to immediately send troops to fight Russia, under collective defense obligations.
Ukraine has long sought NATO membership, but Zelensky acknowledged in March that Ukraine had to accept that it would not be accepted into the Western military alliance, despite receiving security aid from NATO countries.
“De facto, we have already reached NATO,” Zelensky said in a Telegram statement. “De facto, we have already demonstrated compatibility with the Alliance’s standards. They are real for Ukraine, real on the battlefield and in all aspects of our interaction. We trust each other, we help each other and we protect each other each other.”
In practice, the chances of Ukraine joining NATO have only diminished in the course of the Russian invasion. Member countries, including the United States, have drawn clear lines: they arm Ukraine, but do not have their own troops on the ground out of concern about triggering a World War.
Just an hour before Zelensky’s announcement, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Moscow’s illegal annexation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, which Russian forces have partially occupied. At the time of Putin’s speech, Zelensky was meeting with his National Security Council. “There will be no negotiations with Russia as long as Putin is the president,” Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s chief of staff, told Telegram. “We are making progress. To the victory.”