
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that his country should accept that it will not join the US-led NATO military alliance, citing a key Russian concern that it used to justify its invasion.
“Ukraine isn’t a NATO member. That is something we recognise. For years, we had heard that the doors were open, but that we would be unable to enter. It’s a fact that needs to be acknowledged,” stated Zelenskyy during a video call with military officials.
Russia used the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO, a military alliance led by the United States, as justification for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that he will no longer push for Ukraine’s accession to NATO, a delicate issue that was one of Russia’s stated reasons for invading its pro-Western neighbour.
In another apparent attempt to appease Moscow, Zelenskyy stated that he is willing to “compromise” on the status of two breakaway pro-Russian territories that President Vladimir Putin recognised as independent just before launching the invasion on February 24.