Ukraine must accept that it will never join NATO, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.
The president of Ukraine’s remarks spurred speculation that he was laying the groundwork for a peace deal with Moscow, who wants Ukraine to stay out of the alliance.
During a video conference with military leaders, Zelensky said.
“Ukraine is not a member of Nato. We understand that. We have heard for years that the doors were open, but we also heard that we could not join. It’s a truth and it must be recognised,”
He stated that NATO was the “strongest alliance in the world,” but that “some of the members of this alliance are hypnotised by Russian aggression”
Russia has long demanded that its neighbour never be admitted to the alliance, and the Kremlin claimed last week that if Kyiv agreed and recognised Russian control of Crimea and separatist-held territory, the war would end “in a moment.”
