Zelensky: Ukraine will not take NATO membership off the table
He said this during his speech at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.
"I will not take NATO membership for Ukraine off the table," Zelensky said.
At the same time, he stressed that "the most influential member of NATO seems to be Putin" because "his whims have the power to block NATO decisions."
"That's despite the fact that it was Ukraine's army that stopped Russia -- not a NATO country, not NATO troops -- but only our people and our army," Zelensky said.
He also highlighted the tremendous losses Russia has sustained, including nearly 250,000 soldiers killed and over 610,000 injured. In the Battle of Kursk alone, Ukrainian troops eliminated nearly 20,000 Russian soldiers. They also destroyed North Korean units in the Kursk region, "which Putin was forced to bring because his own forces were not enough to hold back our counteroffensive." Thus, for more than six months, "Ukrainians have been holding a foothold inside Russian territory, even though it was Russia that wanted to create a 'buffer zone' inside our land, in Ukraine," Zelensky said.
"I am proud of Ukraine. I am proud of our people. But now I ask you, each of you to honestly answer this question. If Russia came for you, could your army fight the same way? I don't want anyone to ever have to find out -- God forbid. That's why we are talking about security guarantees," Zelensky said.
He stressed Ukraine's belief that "the core of any security guarantees for Ukraine must be NATO membership." "Or – if not that – then conditions that allow us to build another NATO, right here in Ukraine," he added.
According to Zelensky, at some point, there will be a border between war and peace, and where that border is drawn and how strong it is "is up to us."
"My proposal: Ukraine's eastern border, Belarus' eastern border, the eastern borders of the Baltic states, and Finland's eastern border. That is the strongest security line for all of us in Europe, because that is the line of international law," he added.
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal stated earlier that the issue of Ukraine's NATO membership should remain on the table.
Photo: MSC
