Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged NATO on Wednesday to send his country a clear signal that it can join the military alliance when Russia’s war in Ukraine ends, saying he would like to get that signal at next month’s NATO summit in Lithuania.
“We understand that while the war is ongoing we can’t become a member of NATO. However, we need to be sure that after the war, we will become a member. That’s the signal we want to get: that after the war, Ukraine will become a NATO member.”
Zelensky made the comments at a news conference alongside the presidents from Poland and Lithuania, who made a surprise visit to Kyiv and vowed to do everything they can to ensure that Ukraine becomes a member of NATO as soon as possible.
The two visiting leaders also expressed concern over the arrival of Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in Belarus, where he has gone into exile after leading his Wagner private militia in a stunning but brief mutiny against Moscow.
Earlier on Wednesday, Zelensky said in a speech to parliament on Ukraine’s Constitution Day, that global leaders should stop thinking about how the Kremlin would react to Ukraine joining Nato, and described Russia’s leaders as “bandits.”
“The political and military leadership of the Russian Federation should not escape justice due to the fact that they supposedly have immunity as state leaders. They are not leaders of the state. They are bandits who seized control of the state institutions of Russia, and they became brazen with impunity and began to terrorize the whole world.”
Zelensky said he also hoped to receive security guarantees at the summit in July to help protect Ukraine until it’s accepted as a NATO member.
Though Ukraine wants to join as quickly as possible, NATO is divided over how fast that step should be taken.
The United States and Germany in particular are wary of moves they fear could take the alliance closer to entering an active war with Russia, which has long seen NATO’s expansion into eastern Europe as evidence of Western hostility.
Zelensky said it was unfortunate that some world leaders still “look back at Russia when making their own decisions.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are engaged in a counter-offensive aiming at retaking Russian-held territory in the country’s east.
Ukraine’s 3rd assault brigade released this video on Wednesday showing what it said was its soldiers storming Russian positions during fighting near Bakhmut.
Reuters was not immediately able to independently verify the location or the date the video was filmed.