Ukrainian president proposes own “NATO” amid stalemate with alliance

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has declared that Ukraine will have no choice but to create its own military alliance if NATO continues to reject its membership bid.

Speaking at a roundtable meeting in Kyiv, Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine would be forced to build a defence framework similar to NATO if it remains excluded from the alliance, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

“If NATO remains closed for us, then we will have no choice but to build NATO in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy stated.

“That is, to provide such funding, to produce our own weapons, to create such contingents that will guarantee peace,” he added.

However, Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine alone would not be able to achieve this goal. He stressed the necessity of negotiating with international allies to secure their involvement in this proposed alliance, indicating that collaboration would be key to ensuring Ukraine’s security and sovereignty.

The remarks come amid ongoing discussions surrounding Ukraine's military future, including negotiations between Washington and Kyiv regarding access to Ukrainian minerals in exchange for US military aid.

The latest draft of the agreement no longer includes a provision for full US control over an investment fund managing Ukraine's rare earth resources, marking a shift in the terms of the proposed deal.

Zelenskyy’s comments also come after he signaled his willingness to step down if necessary and controversially stated that Ukraine would refuse to repay debts to the United States. 

By Vafa Guliyeva