Zelenskyy: We won't trade a single Ukrainian village for NATO membership

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ruled out compromising over Ukrainian territory in negotiations with Russia in exchange for NATO membership.

Source: President Zelenskyy during a press conference following the NATO summit in Vilnius on 12 July

Details: Zelenskyy offered his comments in light of the rumours that the US and Germany are deliberately avoiding giving Ukraine a clear timeline for joining NATO in case Ukraine’s membership becomes a subject of negotiations with the Russian Federation.

Quote from Zelenskyy: "I’m certain that Biden and Scholz won’t betray [Ukraine], but still, I have to make it clear that we will never trade a [NATO member status] for our territories – even for a single village that stands deserted but for one old man.

We won’t relinquish our territories and will never trade them for a frozen conflict. This will never happen. Our partners know my position well."

Background: According to information from European Pravda, the White House opposes Ukraine's rapid accession, partly because Biden's team believes it is necessary to leave Ukraine room to trade with Russia in case "there is an idea to exchange peace for Ukraine's non-accession to NATO".

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that the conditions for Ukraine's accession to NATO, as set out by the Allies in the summit decision, are security-related. Commenting on NATO's decision that an invitation to join will come only after "the conditions are met", Zelenskyy explained that he has his own understanding of when this will happen.

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