Ukraine is not a member of NATO. We understand that. We’ve heard for years that the doors were open, but we also heard that we couldn’t join in. This is a fact that must be recognized, Zelensky said in a video conference with military leaders.
Among Russia’s demands is that Ukraine never become a member of NATO.
Both Ukraine and NATO have previously rejected this request, and Defense Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has repeatedly stated that the door to membership is open and that it should be up to each country to decide which alliance they want to be part of.
constructive tone
Ukraine and Russia met on Tuesday for a new round of negotiations, in which the tone from the Russian side, according to one of Zelensky’s advisers, was more constructive than before.
According to Ihor Zhovkva, Russia is no longer demanding Ukraine to surrender.
Ukrainian representatives are “rather optimistic” after the talks, says Zhovkva, who emphasized that the breakthrough in the negotiations is supposed to meet with Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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room for compromise
Another member of Ukraine’s negotiating delegation, Mikhailo Podoljak, Zelensky’s adviser, is cautiously optimistic after Tuesday’s video conference.
– We continue tomorrow. This is a very difficult and slow negotiation process. There are fundamental contradictions. But he tweeted.
Russian requirements
Russia has also demanded that Crimea, which the Kremlin annexed in 2014, be recognized as part of Russia.
Putin is also demanding that the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk be recognized as independent, as well as a somewhat more vague demand for Ukraine to be “demilitarized and Nazi”.
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