Zelensky's NATO push: Dismissing nuclear paths for alliance
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Thursday during his visit to Brussels that he had spoken with former U.S. President Donald Trump about Ukraine's prospects of joining NATO. During their conversation, Zelensky emphasised that Kyiv faces two options: joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or acquiring nuclear weapons.
Zelensky noted that he conveyed to Trump that Ukraine prefers membership in international alliances instead of possessing nuclear weapons, which it relinquished in 1994 by signing the Budapest Memorandum.
NATO as Ukraine's strategic goal
The President of Ukraine added that, from his country's perspective, NATO is the most effective alliance. He pointed out, "NATO countries today are not at war. NATO countries are not fighting. In NATO countries, people are still alive. Thank God. That is why we choose NATO, not nuclear weapons." According to Zelensky, Trump responded that "he has a just argument."
Volodymyr Zelensky is currently in Brussels, where he is participating in a meeting of European Union country leaders.
Leaders on Zelensky's plan
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said after meeting with 27 leaders at the EU summit in Brussels that 18 member country leaders spoke about his plan for victory in the war with Russia. He reported that most of them declared full support for Kyiv.
The Ukrainian leader expressed gratitude for the opportunity to present his plan, the first point of which is inviting Ukraine to NATO.
He added that the plan includes annexes concerning long-range missiles in addition to the five points, which he discussed in bilateral talks with U.S. President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and French President Emmanuel Macron.
"This does not mean that they are special. I treat all allies equally and I am grateful for their support. (...) However, the decisions of these countries will have a significant impact on whether we will be strengthened with long-range weapons or not," he stated.
