Zelenskyy said that Ukraine's accession to NATO would make the Alliance stronger

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy once again emphasized the importance of Ukraine’s NATO membership. According to him, the Ukrainian military and its experience in modern warfare can significantly strengthen the Alliance’s defense capabilities.

The head of state noted that Ukraine has already proven its effectiveness in countering Russian aggression. He is convinced that the country’s accession to NATO will strengthen the security not only of Ukraine but also of all Alliance member states.

“I have a question for you: Do you really think it is right for a country and a people with such a high level of defense capabilities (as Ukraine—ed.) to remain outside NATO? If we already have such capabilities, if Ukrainians have already learned to fight this way, then it is entirely logical for these capabilities to become part of the Alliance’s collective defense. This will make us all stronger,” Zelenskyy said.

He noted that Ukraine and NATO already view each other as reliable partners. “And it would be entirely natural to become part of a unified security community. Given that we will remain close to the source of the threat—Russia—for a long time to come, Ukraine’s membership in NATO would mean the emergence of an exceptionally strong defense capability,” the President emphasized.

To back up his words, Zelenskyy recalled that the Ukrainian Armed Forces eliminate about 30,000 Russian soldiers every month.

“In June alone, nearly 28,000 Russian soldiers were eliminated. And we have video evidence of every single one of these incidents. The vast majority of them were taken out by drones. And, to be honest, we’re not proud of this at all. I’m only mentioning this to show what modern warfare looks like. This is a war we didn’t start, but one we’re forced to fight to protect our country, our people, and our children,” the head of state explained.

According to him, the Ukrainian Defense Forces have increased their interception rate of Russian “Shahed”-type drones to over 90%. “This means that every week we shoot down thousands of Russian attack drones. And with all due respect, no other country has had experience defending against drone attacks on such a scale. The reality of this war has forced us to develop these capabilities. Today, we defend ourselves against hundreds of attack drones every day and every night, as well as thousands every week and every month. Ukraine’s defense sector has built up these capabilities during a full-scale war,” Zelenskyy noted.

He also mentioned the campaign to ensure security in the Black Sea using maritime drones. “These are no longer just attack drones designed to destroy Russian warships at sea. Our maritime drones have already evolved into multifunctional platforms capable of striking various targets—both on land and in the air—from the sea,” the President noted.

According to him, Ukraine is simultaneously fighting in the skies on two key fronts: defending people from Russian attacks and carrying out long-range strikes against Russia in response to this war, as well as striking targets throughout the depth of Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories.

With all this experience, as Zelenskyy noted, Ukraine will significantly strengthen NATO if it becomes a member.