Zelenskyy: Russia also has interest in Ukraine joining NATO

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine’s potential membership of NATO would serve not only the interests of Kyiv and the Alliance, but could also benefit Russia in the long term.

Zelenskyy argued that most NATO member states understand that Ukraine needs the Alliance just as much as the Alliance needs Ukraine, reinforcing the strategic importance of Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration.

The President added Ukraine’s accession to NATO would also be advantageous for Russia itself.

“I believe that Russians also need Ukraine to join NATO, because in the future Russians could suffer if Ukraine is not in NATO,” Zelenskyy said.