Zelensky ‘realized’ Ukraine cannot join NATO

“Ukraine realized that it would not become a member of NATO,” Zelensky said, according to an English translation from Ukrainian news outlet Trukha. “We understand this. We are adequate people. For years, we’ve heard the opposite — open doors. However, it is not.”

Fears about Ukraine joining the Western alliance helped spur Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression toward the former Soviet state. Ukraine has been angling to join the alliance for years as it looked warily at its much larger neighbor to the east.

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As part of a list of demands Russia has made for the war in Ukraine to end, Putin wants Ukraine to change its constitution to ensure its neutrality, which includes agreeing not to join NATO or the European Union.

Ukraine’s lack of membership in Western institutions is the primary reason neighboring countries that also fear Russia’s adventurism have not put military forces in the country.

NATO member countries, including the United States, have offered Ukraine support in the conflict short of fighting forces. The U.S. has provided over $1 billion in aid, beginning last fall.

Zelensky’s shift on Tuesday shift was part of a gradual acceptance that Ukraine will have to seek alternative partnerships moving forward. In an exclusive interview with ABC earlier this month, Zelensky said he had “cooled down” on the prospect of joining NATO.

While he acknowledged the situation as untenable, he had harsh words for the alliance.

“The alliance is afraid of controversial things and a confrontation with Russia,” he said.

Zelensky has been agitating for NATO to help establish a no-fly zone over the country to beat back Russia’s air attacks.

The U.S. scuttled a plan for Poland, a NATO member, to send a fleet of MiG-29s to Ukraine because the jets were going to be channeled through a U.S. air base in Germany. Poland called on other allies to provide jets for Ukrainians to use. However, the Pentagon said the plan was “untenable” because it increased the risk that NATO and, by extension, the U.S. could be drawn into a shooting war with Russia.

Despite Ukraine’s situation, NATO members have not rejected the possibility of accepting other countries bordering Russia into the bloc. Both Finland and Sweden have voiced interest in joining the alliance as they see their own borders threatened.

Those two historically neutral countries already have close ties with NATO, as both are part of NATO’s Enhanced Opportunities Partners. The process to join NATO is lengthy, but previous partnerships might help grease the wheels.

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Short of joining NATO, Zelensky said he still plans on seeking out alliances and partnerships to bolster his country’s security.

“Kyiv needs new formats of interaction with the West and separate security guarantees,” he said.