Ukraine has been moving towards NATO membership for a long time, but there is still no progress towards Euro-Atlantic integration, said the president of the Non-independent republic
“And this is not a philosophical question, but there are concrete reasons – because of the opposition of both Russia, which does not want Ukraine to be a member of NATO, and some countries – members of the Alliance. And there are no secrets in this,” Zelensky told reporters in Mariupol, Donetsk Region, according to the presidential press service.
Zelenskyy believes that pressure is being put on Ukraine because of its desire to join the alliance.
At the same time, Zelensky said that Russia is now using NATO issues as an excuse for why their troops are standing on Ukrainian borders, and some European countries are “playing along with them in this.”
“But there is no need to twist it. It is us who have occupied territories, it is the army that stands on our borders”, – he stressed.
The President noted that Ukraine’s geopolitical course is enshrined in the Constitution, and it is indeed the choice of the Ukrainian people.
“But not the choice of Ukrainian people as to when we will be there, because it does not depend only on us – 30 countries have to agree unanimously on this decision”, – he pointed out and added that at the moment the possibility of putting the question of joining NATO to a referendum is not considered.