Zelenskyy reveals what will bring Ukraine closer to war end

The Ukrainian leader spoke about this in an interview with the Portuguese edition of RTP.

Zelenskyy believes that Ukraine will be part of the Atlantic Alliance only after the war is over, although the invitation may come sooner. This invitation itself may mean "getting closer to the end of the war," but not all parties agree with this view.

According to the Ukrainian president, the country has every chance of starting a dialogue on the future in the European Union later this year.

"Everything will depend on the goodwill or political will of our European partners, our will and our capabilities," Zelenskyy said.

The president says that a decision could be made by the end of the year, and the process will likely begin in 2024.

As for whether the war could end in 2023, the leader replied: "It's hard to say that the war can end later this year. It all depends on several factors, including the success of the counteroffensive. Events on the ground could be decisive in pushing for a political solution.

Ukraine's NATO membership

On May 30, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba outlined three key points that define Ukraine's vision for a successful outcome at the NATO summit in Vilnius. "Strengthen Ukraine-NATO institutional ties and assistance. Take a step toward UA membership. Provide security guarantees on Ukraine’s path to NATO." 

On June 10, Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister, Volodymyr Havrylov, expressed his belief that the July NATO summit in Vilnius  will set the algorithm for Ukraine's accession to the Alliance.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that Ukraine will become a NATO member in the future, but due to the ongoing war, specific dates for accession cannot be determined. However, he is confident that during the Vilnius summit, the member countries will work towards finding a solution regarding Ukraine's progress.

On June 15, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for Ukraine's membership in NATO with 425 votes in favor. 

On June 16, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on NATO chief Stoltenberg to drop the Membership Action Plan (MAP) if Ukraine joins NATO.

US President Joe Biden expressed support for removing the MAP stage, making the joining process simpler for Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized Ukraine's role in Europe's defense and called on allies to invite the country to NATO.

James Cleverly, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in the UK, assured support for Ukraine's simplified entry into NATO.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine has valid reasons to receive a political invitation to NATO at the Vilnius summit.

On June 28, during a speech in parliament on Constitution Day, President Zelenskyy proposed 5 points of the Ukrainian Doctrine, which stipulates that Ukraine's future lies in the EU and NATO, for discussion.

On June 30, US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith said that NATO member states are close to a consensus on Ukraine's accession to NATO without the MAP.

In an interview with CNN, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that an official invitation to join NATO is extremely important for Ukraine. He appealed to US leader Joe Biden to do so.

On July 4, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda called on NATO allies to offer Ukraine a simplified accession to the Alliance at the Vilnius summit to increase Ukrainians' effectiveness on the battlefield.

On July 5, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and his Polish counterpart Zbigniew Rau expressed hope that Ukraine would be admitted to NATO under an accelerated procedure.

On July 7, Jens Stoltenberg announced that Zelenskyy will attend the first meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council in Vilnius.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that Ukraine deserves NATO membership, emphasizing that everyone stands to gain from a fair peace.

On July 9, media reported that the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany are negotiating to finalize a declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine on the eve of the NATO summit.

On July 10, NATO reached a consensus on the abolition of the MAP for Ukraine.

On July 11 to 12, a summit of NATO leaders was taking place in Vilnius. Meetings are held at the level of leaders and governments. For the first time, the summit is hosted by Lithuania. The events are taking place at the LITEXPO convention center. Thousands of military personnel provide security during the events, with Patriot and NASAMS air defense systems protecting the sky.

The meetings are attended by leaders of 31 NATO countries, including US President Joe Biden, and delegations from Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Ukraine, and Sweden. In total, over 2,400 members of 48 foreign delegations, including up to 40 heads of state and 150 other high-ranking government officials, were expected to arrive in Vilnius. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also attending the summit.

In particular, on July 11, the NATO summit in Vilnius adopted a package of decisions regarding Ukraine: the Membership Action Plan phase is canceled, and the country will receive an invitation to join the Alliance after fulfilling the requirements for accession and subject to the consent of all allies. 

Volodymyr Zelenskyy was outraged by the existence of "conditions" for Ukraine to receive an invitation to NATO and said that it looked like "unwillingness to invite our country to the Alliance."

The Allies reached a consensus on a communiqué regarding Ukraine, reaffirming their 2008 commitment that Ukraine would eventually join NATO. The document further acknowledged that Ukraine's journey towards complete Euro-Atlantic integration has surpassed the benchmarks outlined in the Membership Action Plan. Member states emphasized Ukraine's increasing operational and political integration with the Alliance, as well as the notable advancements made in implementing reforms. Additionally, it was stated that NATO foreign ministers will conduct regular evaluations of progress through the Annual National Program.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, shared his response to the decisions made during the first day of the Vilnius NATO Summit. He expressed the belief that the Alliance should not postpone Ukraine's accession to NATO. 

Furthermore, he mentioned that NATO did not specify the conditions that Ukraine needs to meet in order to join the Alliance, and it remains unclear who should be responsible for formulating those conditions.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on the results of the NATO summit and said that if Ukraine had received an invitation to join the Alliance, it "would have been perfect."