Ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine Ukrainian president: NATO membership is the only way.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today urged the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to accelerate the pace of Ukraine’s accession to NATO, saying it is the only way to end the war between government forces and pro-Russian separatists.
Russia’s troop build-up along the border between the two countries has led to an intensification of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, raising concerns from all walks of life, and a meeting between Zelensky (Volodymyr Zelensky) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
Zelensky tweeted after the conference call that Ukraine has long wanted to join the organization and that it was time for NATO to take further action.
He said Ukraine is committed to carrying out defense reforms as required by NATO in exchange for membership.
Zelensky said, “However, reforms alone will not stop Russia.” The Ukrainian government has said it hopes to be invited to participate in NATO’s Membership Action Plan (MAP) this year.
“Joining NATO is the only way to end the fighting in the Donbass region (Donbass) in eastern Ukraine, and having Ukraine participate in NATO’s Membership Action Plan would be a wake-up call for Russia.”
There is growing concern across the board about the rising conflict in eastern Ukraine, where government forces have been fighting separatists in the predominantly Russian-speaking Donbass region since 2014.
Ukraine last week accused Russia of amassing thousands of military personnel on Ukraine’s northern and eastern borders, as well as on the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014.
Ukraine’s Western allies have issued statements defending Ukraine and warning Russia against further action.
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