Ukraine should insist on NATO membership as it’s only thing Putin respects - diplomat Volker

He said this in an interview with LIGA.net.

"This is the only thing Putin respects. He has already seen that assurances like the Budapest Memorandum do not work, they are not taken seriously," the diplomat said.

At the same time, Volker could not name a timeframe for Ukraine's membership in NATO, but noted that the sooner the better.

"Regarding the timing. I think the terms we should insist on are immediate. I think we should say as soon as there is a ceasefire, as soon as there is a cessation of hostilities, we should then bring Ukraine into NATO," the former U.S. special representative says.

He added that this is necessary to prevent further aggression against Ukraine.

"People now think that since the war is still going on, NATO membership means that NATO is at war with Russia. We have to make people change their thinking and say that it is actually the other way around. You want to stop the fighting, and then bring Ukraine into NATO to prevent war in the future," Volker emphasized.

According to him, this is a deterrent move. At the same time, Volker did not rule out that in the future the Alliance may have to defend Ukraine if necessary.

• On December 4, 2024, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Ukraine was not insisting on joining NATO during the war.