Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the idea of NATO membership without the Russian-occupied territories during a press conference in Kiev on Sunday with the new President of the European Council, António Costa.
“An invitation to Ukraine to join NATO is necessary for our survival,” Zelensky said. But he added that there cannot be an invitation to NATO for just one part of the country.
He stressed that such a move would effectively recognize the loss of Russian-controlled territory, something Ukraine will never accept.
As a result, Zelensky emphasized that NATO membership can only be extended to Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.
But in a recent interview, Zelensky had suggested that NATO security guarantees could only apply to government-controlled areas of Ukraine.
Ukraine has been defending itself against Russia’s large-scale invasion for more than two and a half years. Moscow currently controls about a fifth of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.
Joining NATO is an important part of Zelensky’s ‘victory plan’, which was presented in October.
