World

Ukraine will join Nato once war with Russia ends: Zelenskyy

With majority of the alliance behind us, accession can happen quickly after peace, he says

Updated 2 years ago · Published on 11 Jul 2023 1:30PM

Ukraine will join Nato once war with Russia ends: Zelenskyy
While acknowledging that Ukraine cannot currently join Nato due to the ongoing war with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasises that his country deserves a clear signal of support from the alliance and expects confirmation at the summit in Vilnius. – AFP pic, July 11, 2023

KYIV – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed confidence that his country will be a member of Nato after the end of the war with Russia, reported German news agency dpa. 

The Western military alliance is meeting for a two-day summit in Lithuania. Although it has been made clear that Ukraine cannot join while in conflict with its Russian invaders because this would spark World War III, accession could follow quickly once there is peace.

“Even if different positions are expressed, it is still obvious that Ukraine deserves to be in the alliance. 

“Not now – now we are at war, but we need a clear signal,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video message.

“The majority of the alliance is clearly with us.”

He added that the summit in Vilnius must confirm this.

“We are still working on the wording, that is, on the specific words of such confirmation, but we already understand the fact that Ukraine will be in the alliance, and we are working to make the algorithm for gaining membership as clear and fast as possible,” he said in the video. Some of his addresses were available in a tweet accompanying the video.

“Our work for this – the work of the entire Ukrainian team – will continue each and every minute of these days,” he added.

Zelenskyy, who has a series of bilateral talks in Vilnius, including with European Union states, the United States, and Canada, also stressed that Ukraine’s struggle is in the interests of the West. The security of Nato’s eastern flank depends on Ukraine repelling the Russians, he said. – Bernama, July 11, 2023

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