Ukraine applies for NATO membership, rules out Putin talks
KYIV, 30 September (Reuters) – On Friday, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced a surprise bid for fast-track membership in NATO and ruled out talks with President Vladimir Putin, responding to Moscow’s announcement that it had annexed four Ukrainian regions.
After Putin held a ceremony in Moscow to proclaim the four partially occupied regions as annexed Russian land, Zelenskiy signed the NATO application papers in an online video that was clearly intended as a forceful rebuttal to the Kremlin.
Before sending its armed forces into Ukraine in February, Russia demanded legally binding guarantees that Ukraine would never be admitted to the transatlantic defense alliance led by the United States.
According to Kyiv and the West, Moscow used this as a pretext to launch a pre-planned military campaign against Ukraine. By applying for NATO fast-track membership, Zelenskiy appears to be demonstrating that Putin is failing in one of his main war goals: preventing Ukraine from joining NATO.
NO TALKS WITH PUTIN
In his video speech, Zelenskiy accused Russia of rewriting history and redrawing borders “through murder, blackmail, mistreatment, and lies,” which Kyiv would not tolerate.
However, he stated that Kyiv remained committed to coexistence with Russia “under equal, honest, dignified, and fair conditions.”
“With this Russian president, that is clearly impossible.” He has no concept of dignity or honesty.
As a result, we are prepared to engage in dialogue with Russia, but with a different Russian president,” Zelenskiy said.
While Ukraine awaits NATO member states’ agreement, Zelenskiy believes it could be protected under draft security guarantees proposed by Kyiv and known as the Kyiv Security Compact, which Moscow has rejected as an idea.
source:nsemwokrom.com