Ukraine needs to admit that it won’t join NATO and its people must rely on themselves: Zelenskyy

Europe, News March 16, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on March 15 that his country must admit that it will not be joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the U.S.-led military alliance, which was a key concern for Russia.

“It’s clear that Ukraine isn’t a NATO member. We get that, we are sensible people,” Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said.

“We have heard for years about allegedly open doors, but we also heard that we wouldn’t be able to join. It’s true and it needs to be admitted,” Zelenskyy said at a meeting with the Ukrainian leaders that are members of the United Kingdom-led Joint Expeditionary Force.

Zelenskyy also said that “I am glad that our people are beginning to understand this and rely on themselves and our partners who help us.”

He also urged NATO members to send help to Ukraine and said, “I ask you: Help yourself by helping us. You know what weapons we need. You know what means of protection we need. You know we crucially need airplanes. It would be extremely difficult for us without your efforts. I am grateful to you. But understand: We need more.”

During his address, Zelenskyy said “What will be NATO’s response to allies in Eastern Europe if they are already seeking protection, if Russian missiles hit, God forbid, if Russian planes” enter their territory? Zelenskyy added that Russian missiles had already struck about 12 miles from NATO borders.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Ukraine’s “NATO membership will be the red line for Russia”, and it would directly “threaten Russian national security.”

However, soon after the Russia-Ukraine war begin, the NATO alliance rejected Ukraine’s request to send troops, highlighting that such a move would “trigger direct confrontation with Russia.”

The U.S. President Biden also said that a “NATO-Russia confrontation might lead to World War III.”

*^{Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on March 15, 2022. (Image Credit: Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)}*

Ukrainian President had been dropping hints of disappointment towards Ukraine’s western allies. As the situation escalated at the Russia-Ukraine border since November 2021, Zelenskyy was looking towards the European NATO member states to provide his country with substantial protection at the time of need. However, as the situation progressed it became quite evident that NATO would not directly participate in the conflict especially after NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated on March 4 that NATO’s core purpose is to make sure that the Russian threat does not cross Ukrainian borders to spread into any of the 30 NATO member states. He further added that “NATO does not seek a war with Russia.”

In a bid to grow a closer bond with its European neighbors, Ukraine also applied for European Union membership under special circumstances. The application for Ukraine’s EU membership was acknowledged by European Union’s legislative body, however, it would take a long time for the process to be completed and Ukraine to become an EU member.

Many former Soviet states have joined the NATO alliance since the end of the Cold War including Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia, however, Ukraine’s admission into the world’s largest military alliance would certainly bring the NATO military closest to the Russian borders.