Ukraine renounces to push on NATO membership

President Zelensky has announced that his country will no longer insist to be a part of NATO. At the same time, Ukraine is open to further negotiations.

Volodymyr Zelensky has recently stated in a video intervention that he is ready to "compromise" on the status of Donetsk and Lugansk, the two separatist pro-Russian regions at conflict with Ukraine since 2014.

"I have cooled down regarding this question a long time ago after we understood that […] NATO is not prepared to accept Ukraine.

"The alliance is afraid of controversial things, and confrontation with Russia.

“I never wanted to be a country which is begging something on its knees. We are not going to be that country, and I don't want to be that president," the Ukrainian President commented during his interview.

According to Ruslan Bortnik, director of the Ukrainian Institute of Politics, Zelensky understood that his country being a NATO member is an unrealistic goal for the moment and will further proceeded with alternatives in order to reinstall peace.

"Zelensky understands already that there is no chance of joining NATO in the nearest future. Moreover, there may be no such chance at all. And these words that Russia pushed Ukraine towards NATO sound like an excuse for the Ukrainian political course during the last seven years, and simultaneously as an attempt to shift the responsibility for this course on Russia," Bortnik explained.

Moreover, the perspective of Ukraine joining NATO was the very thing that infuriated Kremlin, leading to the conflict today, due to the fact that Russia sees the Western alliance as a direct threat. 

Nevertheless, Putin has asked for Ukraine to also recognize the separatist regions’ sovereignty and independence. Zelensky stated he is open to proceed to dialogue.

"I'm talking about security guarantees. […] we can discuss and find the compromise on how these territories will live on.

"The people who elected me are not ready to surrender. We are not ready for ultimatums. But we can discuss with Russia the future of Crimea and Donbas.

"What is important to me is how the people in those territories are going to live, who wants to be part of Ukraine, who in Ukraine will say that they want to have them in.

"So the question is more difficult than simply acknowledging them," Zelensky concluded.

 

 

source: france24.com, yahoo.com