Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with The Economist that Ukraine must “build its own NATO” if membership in the Alliance remains unlikely.
Ukraine’s NATO bid is a major sticking point in potential negotiations with Russia. Russia demands Ukraine abandon its NATO aspirations, while Ukraine sees membership as a solid security guarantee against future Russian aggression and a way to strengthen its defense capabilities.
Ukraine’s NATO bid faces hurdles from Germany’s hesitation and Hungary’s pro-Kremlin stance. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine’s NATO membership seems unlikely due to this resistance.
“No one is giving up,” he said, suggesting Hungary’s position could change if Donald Trump requested it.
The Ukrainian President outlined a clear alternative if NATO membership remains blocked, calling this a “plan B.”
“We have to build NATO on its territory,” Zelenskyy said, explaining this means strengthening the Ukrainian army. “We have to double it. To be on the same level as the Russian army,” he added in the interview.
Zelenskyy believes the United States could provide security guarantees without consulting Russia, with European funding as part of this solution.
“Missiles, long-distance missiles and Patriot [air-defence systems],” he specified as military needs to counter Russian aggression.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hagseth stated that American officials do not view Ukraine’s NATO membership as a realistic outcome of peace negotiations.
“Sustainable peace for Ukraine must include reliable security guarantees to ensure war doesn’t restart again. This should not be Minsk 3.0,” Hagseth said.
In response, Zelenskyy said: “I don’t think these doors were really open. Without the US. No one is inviting us to NATO yet. We stopped Putin.”
Zelenskyy emphasized that NATO membership remains the most cost-effective option.
“The most expensive option is to build NATO in Ukraine. Because we Ukrainians will have no other way. And Europe will have no other way for security,” he said.
On February 9, Zelenskyy expressed readiness for serious peace negotiations if allies provide security guarantees rather than mere assurances. He suggested allied military presence in Ukraine remains possible.
Ukraine’s NATO membership
At the 2024 Washington summit, NATO member countries confirmed Ukraine’s “irreversible path” to Alliance membership. The allies acknowledged Ukraine’s increasing operational and political integration with NATO.
Before the summit, then-Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed hope for Ukraine’s membership within the next decade. However, then-US Ambassador to NATO Julian Smith stated the Alliance did not plan to invite Ukraine in the near future.
Zelenskyy suggested that non-occupied territories of Ukraine should first receive NATO protection. Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected any security guarantee formats proposed as alternatives to NATO membership.
Bloomberg reported that during possible negotiations with newly elected US President Donald Trump, Russian leader Vladimir Putin would insist on Ukraine becoming a neutral state.
Ukraine applied for fast-track NATO accession in September 2022 after Russia claimed to annex four Ukrainian oblasts.
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