Zelenskyy on delaying Ukraine's NATO accession: Give us nuclear weapons and missiles
Photo: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Ukraine needs to have its own defense while the NATO accession process continues. This could be nuclear weapons or a larger number of missiles, states Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview with Piers Morgan.
According to the president, if Ukraine is not joining NATO at the moment, the country needs protection throughout the entire process.
"If this process drags on for years or decades — not because of us, but because of our partners — then we have a completely fair question: what will protect us from this evil all this time along the way? What kind of support package, what missiles? Will they give us nuclear weapons? Then let them give us nuclear weapons. Or will they provide us with enough missiles so that we can stop Russia?" Zelenskyy said.
"Give us back nuclear arms."
— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) February 4, 2025
Ukraine’s President Zelenksy has issued the plea while discussing with Piers Morgan how the war with Russia can end.
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In his opinion, this could help deter Russia for some time.
"Give us back nuclear weapons, provide us with missile systems, partners, help us fund a million-strong army, deploy your contingent to the parts of our country where we want stability so that people can feel secure. If we're talking about this, fine, but then the question I mentioned arises. If we are not in NATO, then why is he (Putin – ed.) on our land? If we are not in NATO and America says we are not ready to be accepted into NATO, then Putin must fully withdraw from our territory," the president said.
After Russia withdraws from Ukrainian territory, discussions can begin about financial compensation for all the losses Ukraine has suffered.
"He (Putin – ed.) invaded because he was afraid we would become a NATO member. Fine, we are not a NATO member. Get off our land. That’s how this should be seen," Zelenskyy emphasized.
Ukraine's NATO accession
In October 2024, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that most NATO countries support the idea of inviting Ukraine to the Alliance as part of the first point of the victory plan. At the same time, Germany maintains a cautious stance, aligning with the US, while Hungary and Slovakia firmly oppose Ukraine's membership.
Ukraine does not consider joining NATO at the cost of giving up its occupied territories. Polish President Andrzej Duda emphasized that an invitation to the Alliance could be a key step toward real security guarantees for Ukraine.
