Zelenskyy said support for Ukraine's NATO membership is growing
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that an increasing number of NATO member countries are openly supporting Ukraine’s future accession to the Alliance. According to him, the allies highly value the Ukrainian military, the defense industry, and the combat experience Ukraine has gained during the war.
According to Zelenskyy, discussions about Ukraine’s NATO membership have been ongoing for many years. But now, as he noted, there are more allies who are openly expressing their support for Ukraine. “First of all, I want to say that for quite some time now—and this time is measured not in hours, not in months, but in years—I think there are now more voices openly calling for Ukraine to join NATO,” the president said.
He explained that this attitude is not solely driven by politics. More and more countries are recognizing the capabilities of Ukraine’s defense-industrial complex and the professionalism of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to Zelenskyy, allies note that Ukraine’s defense sector already operates at NATO standards and demonstrates very high performance in certain areas. “Everyone emphasizes that the Ukrainian defense-industrial complex is already at the NATO level and is one of the best. The same goes for our army. NATO recognizes that the Alliance’s defense capabilities will only benefit from Ukraine’s involvement,” the head of state stressed.
The president also noted that Ukraine’s experience in modern warfare is currently being closely studied by partners. This applies not only to the military’s operations but also to the development of defense technologies, weapons production, and new solutions that Ukraine is deploying on the battlefield. “Everyone respects our army, everyone respects Ukraine, and everyone respects our technology companies and would like to strengthen their capabilities with Ukraine’s help,” Zelenskyy said.
At the same time, the president made it clear that the discussion regarding Ukraine’s NATO membership is ongoing. However, he said that following the summit, it became clear that support for Ukraine among its allies is gradually growing, and more and more countries are recognizing its contribution to European security. The head of state made these remarks while answering questions from journalists after the NATO summit in Ankara.
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