Zelenskyy: If Ukraine's ascension to NATO depended on Stoltenberg, it would have happened already

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has changed his attitude to Ukraine's membership in the Alliance, and he supports this decision. Source: Zelensky in an interview to Finnish, Swedish, Danish and Norwegian journalists, reports European Pravda Quote: "Our last meeting with Jens was better than all our previous meetings.

But again, this is a joint decision. But I think that if the decision [on our country's ascension to the Alliance - ed.] depended on Stoltenberg, Ukraine would be in NATO [now]," Zelenskyy said. "I think, in general, Jens changed his position.

I believe - let him not be offended by me, I have a good relationship with him - that he has become a more decisive person. For us, for the world and for the Alliance, this is important," the president added.

The President stressed that it was not Ukraine that decided not to join NATO, it was the countries of the Alliance that did not dare to make a decision in due time. "It was not our choice not to be in NATO.

It was the choice of NATO and the fears of some states on what would happen if Ukraine was accepted into NATO, how Russia would react. It's not very fair that no one was interested in how an average person would react in Ukraine, but everyone was interested in how Russia would react. I believe that this is unfair and unjustified," the president said.

He recalled the example of Finland, which quickly joined NATO, and no reaction from Russia followed.

We have launched English Twitter! Follow us!

"We are glad that Finland is in NATO. And here's the answer: first of all, everyone understood that the best security guarantees are NATO [membership - ed.].

Here is an example of whether anyone should be afraid of Russia or not. Finland joined NATO and this once again proves that Russia simply wanted to occupy us, and not because they were afraid that NATO was approaching their borders," Zelenskyy said. "The fact that we are not in NATO is not because we do not want to, but because you do not accept us.

And all these years you have not accepted us there. Yes, you invited us, but nevertheless... It cannot be so in the civilised world that our life depends only on whether we are part of NATO or not," he added.

On 20 April, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg arrived in Ukraine on an unannounced visit for the first time since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation. He held talks with Zelenskyy in Kyiv, and also visited Bucha, which was under Russian occupation in February and March 2022. He said that at the July NATO summit in Vilnius, the Allies are preparing to discuss Ukraine's membership and security guarantees for the country, but the main issue remains ensuring Ukraine's victory in the war.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!