NATO refused Ukraine induction but said 'Publicly, doors will remain open': Zelenskyy

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's request to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) was disapproved, however, NATO said that the doors will remain open publicly. While talking to CNN, Zelenskyy said that had Ukraine been a part of the military alliance, Russia would never have invaded the country. President Zelenskyy also showed strong disapproval of NATO's stance in constantly keeping Ukraine guessing, as to whether NATO will give them membership.  

NATO keeps Ukraine guessing on membership

President Zelenskyy pleaded for NATO membership and also stated that Russia wouldn't have attacked Ukraine, if it were a part of NATO. "If we were a NATO member, a war wouldn't have started. I'd like to receive security guarantees for my country, for my people. If NATO members are ready to see us in the alliance, then do it immediately because people are dying on a daily basis," CNN quoted Zelenskyy as saying during an interview. The Ukrainian President also urged  NATO to take quick decision, because of the heavy price the country had to pay on a daily basis because of the war. "But if you are not ready to preserve the lives of our people, if you just want to see us straddle two worlds, if you want to see us in this dubious position where we don't understand whether you can accept us or not -- you cannot place us in this situation, you cannot force us to be in this limbo," he added.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was ready for negotiations with Ruusia, however, he asserted that failure in such attempts would have resulted in a third world war. "I'm ready for negotiations with him. I was ready for the last two years. And I think that without negotiations, we cannot end this war. If there's just one per cent chance for us to stop this war, I think that we need to take this chance," he said, according to the media outlet.

However, Zelenskyy clarified that there are "compromises" that Ukraine cannot make in negotiations with Putin. "Any compromises related to our territorial integrity and our sovereignty and the Ukrainian people have spoken about it, they have not greeted Russian soldiers with a bunch of flowers, they have greeted them with bravery, they have greeted them with weapons in their hands."

Image: AP