Zelensky said in a joint press conference with his Estonian counterpart, Alar Karis, that “joining NATO is the best guarantee of Ukraine’s security (…) but we understand that we will not drag any country in NATO into war.”
He continued, “Therefore, we understand that we will not become a member of NATO as long as this war continues, not because we do not want to, but because it is impossible.”
This is a rare admission from the Ukrainian president, who has intensified his pressure since the start of the Russian invasion to include his country as soon as possible in the alliance.
On Thursday, Zelensky demanded that his country and Moldova join NATO, saying that doubts about his country’s accession endanger Europe.
And NATO, which in principle supports the annexation of this country, remains ambiguous about the timetable, as Kiev’s entry into the alliance may cause an escalation in the conflict because Russia considers such expansion a red line.
Last April, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed the organization’s support for Kiev’s ambitions without addressing the timetable, considering that the priority is to achieve victory in the war.
The issue of Ukraine’s accession will be discussed at the NATO summit scheduled in Vilnius next July.
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