Zelenskyy named the only way to stop the war — NATO membership

The President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Ukraine's official invitation to NATO the only way to stop the war with Russia and ensure the survival of Ukrainians. Because of this, the Ukrainian leader called on Western partners to support his Victory Plan.

This was reported by the Financial Times.

Importance of Ukraine's invitation to NATO

Ukraine's accession to NATO is the first of five key steps in Ukraine's Victory Plan and plays a major role in forcing Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to negotiate.

"We cannot be very strong without receiving an invitation that will strengthen our diplomatic ways to end the war. This war will end when Putin is isolated and other partners push him to diplomacy," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

According to the Financial Times, all NATO members agree that Ukraine's path to membership in the Alliance is irreversible, but the United States and Germany oppose Kyiv's formal invitation due to "concerns about the possible escalation of the conflict with Russia." Unofficially, some civil servants also believe that Ukraine's entry into the Alliance could become a bargaining chip in future negotiations with Moscow.

NATO invitation — Ukraine's arguments

Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that an invitation to NATO would boost the morale of Ukrainian civilians and military personnel.

"The invitation means another step towards NATO, and this means that our children will not die. Never, because we will be a member of NATO. If we do not receive an invitation to NATO, morale will drop," the Ukrainian President said.

Zelenskyy compared the disputes over Ukraine's invitation to the discussions on the provision of Patriot missile systems and F-16 fighters. At that time, Western countries also initially refused, but gradually reached an agreement and supported this decision.

"The reaction to the Victory Plan is the same as to the Patriot, F-16... However, we have to do it. We can survive only in this way. The war will not end until Putin feels that he must end it. And he understands only force," the publication quotes the Ukrainian President.

As a reminder, the new NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that the Alliance would consider the Victory Plan of Ukraine. At the same time, he did not indicate clear deadlines for when Kyiv could receive an official invitation.

Novyny.LIVE also wrote that, according to Secretary General Mark Rutte, the Victory Plan of Ukraine in NATO will be considered behind closed doors. This is due to the fact that the Alliance members may have different opinions on its separate points.