In an interview with the US television channel ABC, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would not insist that Ukraine join NATO. The possible accession of the country to the western bloc is one of the main issues that led to the invasion of Ukrainian territory by the Russian army.
“As for NATO, I moderated my position on this issue some time ago, when I realized that NATO was not ready to accept Ukraine,” said the Ukrainian president.
Zelensky explained that he does not want to be seen as the president of a “country that begs on its knees” to join the Western military alliance. According to him, “the alliance is afraid of anything controversial and a confrontation with Russia”.
One of the main causes of the war in Eastern Europe is Russia’s staunch opposition to the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO and, consequently, strengthening ties with Western countries.
The Russian government even asked the West for assurances that the alliance would not expand further to the East — particularly Ukraine. The request, however, was not granted, which frustrated Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Dialogue with Putin
During the interview, Zelensky signaled a possible opening to negotiations with Moscow, and said he was ready for a “compromise” to be made in relation to separatist territories in eastern Ukraine that have been recognized as independent by Putin.
Three days before starting the invasion of Ukrainian territory, Russia unilaterally considered the pro-Russian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as sovereign and independent republics.
Last Monday (7), Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia could stop its military action if Ukraine meets certain conditions. Among the demands are the recognition of Crimea as Russian territory and the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent territories.
When asked about Russian demands, Ukraine’s president said he was open to dialogue. “I’m talking about security guarantees. I think that when it comes to these temporarily occupied territories (…), which were only recognized by Russia, (…) we can discuss and reach a compromise on the future of these territories”, explained Zelensky.
The Ukrainian leader called the issue “complex”, and considered that the most important thing is to know how the people who live in these territories and want to be part of Ukraine will live.
The president also criticized Vladimir Putin’s lack of diplomacy. “This is another ultimatum and we reject ultimatums. What is needed is for President Putin to start talking, start a dialogue, instead of living in a bubble,” concluded Zelensky.
understand the conflict
After months of military escalation and intemperance on the Ukrainian border, Russia attacked the Eastern European country. At dawn this Thursday (24), Russian forces began to bomb several regions of the country – follow the repercussion live on CNN.
Hours earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a “special military operation” in the Donbas region (eastern Ukraine, where the breakaway regions of Luhansk and Donetsk are located, which he recognized as independent).
What followed, however, was an attack on almost the entire Ukrainian territory, with explosions in several cities, including the capital Kiev. According to Ukrainian authorities, dozens of deaths were confirmed in the armies of both countries.
Russia has been tightening its military grip around Ukraine since last year, piling up tens of thousands of troops, equipment and artillery at the country’s gates. In recent weeks, diplomatic efforts to defuse tensions have been unsuccessful.
The escalation in the years-long conflict between Russia and Ukraine has set off the continent’s biggest security crisis since the Cold War, raising the specter of a dangerous confrontation between Western powers and Moscow.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
