Zelenskyy on NATO membership: Ukraine’s 800,000-strong army would be a bonus to the alliance
Pravda Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that NATO membership is still one of the most critical security guarantees for Ukraine. He argues that an 800,000-strong Ukrainian military would be a bonus to the Alliance, particularly if US President Donald Trump pursues a policy of withdrawing American troops from overseas deployments.
Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with Associated Press
Details: Zelenskyy stressed that any deal struck with Russia would only be a precondition for future aggression without security guarantees from Ukraine’s allies. NATO membership is still Kyiv’s main choice.
The Ukrainian president believes that NATO membership is the “cheapest” option for Ukraine’s allies and it would also strengthen Trump geopolitically.
Quote from Zelenskyy: “I really believe that these are the cheapest security guarantees that Ukraine can get, the cheapest for everyone…
It will be a signal that it is not for Russia to decide who should be in NATO and who should not, but for the United States of America to decide. I think this is a great victory for Trump.”
Details: Zelenskyy also noted that an 800,000-strong Ukrainian military would be a bonus for the Alliance, especially if Trump seeks to bring home American troops stationed abroad.
He added that other security guarantee proposals should be reinforced by adequate weapon supplies from the US and Europe and support for Kyiv in strengthening its own defence industry.
Zelenskyy also stated that the French proposal to deploy European forces in Ukraine to deter Russian aggression is taking shape. However, he noted that many questions remain regarding the command and control structure, the number of troops and their deployment locations.
He said this issue was raised with French President Emmanuel Macron and Trump: “I said in the presence of the two leaders that we are interested in this as a part of the security guarantee, but not as the only guarantee of safety. That’s not enough.”
Quote from Zelenskyy: “Imagine, there is a contingent. The question is who is in charge? Who is the main one? What will they do if there are Russian strikes? Missiles, disembarkation, attack from the sea, crossing of the land borderline, offensive. What will they do? What are their mandates?”
When asked if he had asked these questions directly to Macron, Zelenskyy replied: “We are still in the process of this dialogue”.
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