Zelenskyy urges NATO to admit Ukraine, citing its military capabilities

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for Ukraine to join NATO, arguing that the country already possesses some of Europe's most advanced military capabilities and has become a provider, rather than a consumer, of security.

Speaking at the NATO Defence Industry Forum in Ankara, Zelenskyy said integrating the Ukrainian Armed Forces into NATO's collective defence system would strengthen the alliance, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

"Do you really believe it would be right to leave outside NATO a country and a people with this level of defensive capability? If we already have these capabilities, if Ukrainians already know how to fight like this, then it does make sense for these capabilities to become a part of the alliance's collective defence. That would make all of us stronger," Zelenskyy noted.

He also argued that Ukraine's accession would reinforce NATO's deterrence against Russia.

Zelenskyy's remarks come after US President Donald Trump ruled out the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO.

Although Kyiv appeared to have temporarily shifted its focus away from membership, perceptions of Ukraine have changed following the Israel-Iran conflict, with the country increasingly viewed as a leader in defence technology rather than solely as a recipient of military assistance.

According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine's rapid technological adaptation has transformed its armed forces into "a source of extraordinary defensive capability" for Europe.

He noted that countries in the Persian Gulf have shown interest in Ukrainian drone technologies, particularly systems designed to intercept Iranian attacks.

While Ukraine's expertise in countering drones is already widely recognised, Zelenskyy said the country's military also has advanced capabilities in medium- and long-range strike operations.

"We have completely eliminated the very idea of Russia having a strategic rear," he said, adding that Moscow had long relied on the belief that its vast territory allowed it to safely maintain military production beyond the reach of Ukrainian forces.

“Ukrainian drones have broken through Russia's defences and struck a Russian oil refinery in Siberia," Zelenskyy added.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov