Non-nuclear pact can replace NATO for now, Zelenskyy says

Zelenskyy said this during a conversation with journalists, Suspilne reports.

"We do not have nuclear weapons, and we are not in NATO, and we will not be in NATO until the war is over. That's why I need this package". We need a package that can stop Putin and reduce his military potential. I have found this alternative," Zelenskyy said.

The president also emphasized his clear position that he has never asked for nuclear weapons to be given or returned to Ukraine.

Background

During a conversation with U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of Ukraine's accession to NATO, noting that the Budapest Memorandum agreements “did not work.”

"How can we trust all the partners who guaranteed the preservation of our territorial integrity? All these agreements did not work. ... And it turns out that we have no choice: either Ukraine will have nuclear weapons, or we must have some kind of alliance," the president said.

Later, Bild wrote that Ukraine was capable of restoring its nuclear arsenal in a few weeks. In this regard, during a press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Zelenskyy clarified that Ukraine was not going to restore its nuclear capabilities and asked journalists not to distort his words.