US President Joe Biden told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that he supports Ukraine’s ambition to become a member of NATO, but conceded that the decision is not his alone and takes the agreement of the entire bloc.
That’s according to Zelensky himself, who told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria in an interview published on Sunday that Washington is behind Kiev’s goal.
“As far as I remember – not all the words will be correct. But the main meaning of his speech…he said: ‘I think you have to be there, but it is not only my decision,’” Zelensky told CNN, noting that the two leaders spoke for about 20-30 minutes specifically on this topic when they met earlier this month in Washington.
The Ukrainian president called on the US to try and lead NATO and signal to Europe about accepting his country into the bloc.
Joining NATO was a stated goal of Zelensky when he was elected leader in 2019, and he has repeatedly begged to be allowed into the alliance. However, the idea has been less popular with members of the bloc, and there appears to be no sign of Kiev being admitted any time soon.
Also on rt.com Ukrainian membership in NATO is not realistic & country should focus on fixing internal issues, says French Ambassador in KievZelensky visited America earlier this month and was hosted by Biden in the White House. Before he went to the US, he told The Washington Post that Ukraine’s limbo status sends a message to Kiev and other nations aspiring to join the military bloc that they can’t be part of the club.
“[It is] a signal to other countries that you guys are not welcome here, and Russia is just around the corner, increasing its clout,” Zelensky told the American daily.
Earlier this year, French Ambassador to Ukraine Etienne de Poncins noted that the country must follow the roadmap provided for it by NATO if it wishes to officially be put on a Membership Action Plan (MAP).
“At the moment, there is no consensus among the members to grant MAP to Ukraine,” he explained. “It’s not a question of France or other countries. It’s just a matter of consensus.”
“Let’s do our homework and not open up a perspective that is not yet realistic,” he concluded.
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