Ukraine’s NATO membership must include entire territory: Zelenskyy

By Aliia Raimbekova

KYIV, Ukraine (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that if Ukraine is invited to join NATO, it should apply to the entire territory of the country, not just certain regions.

"If this is an invitation, it must apply to all of our territory. It is unacceptable for NATO to invite only part of Ukraine’s land," said Zelenskyy during a meeting with European Council President Antonio Costa, who was in Kyiv for talks.

Following the meeting, the two men held a joint press conference to address the media.

During the meeting, Zelenskyy highlighted Ukraine’s need for air defense systems, pointing out that Russia continues to carry out attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure and civilians.

"Unfortunately, the attacks continue. Last month, the Russian army launched 347 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 Iranian-made Shahed drones at Ukraine.

"No country can withstand such terror for an entire month. We are grateful to those who have helped us with air defense systems," he added.

Zelenskyy also discussed the situation on the front lines and the provision of artillery shells to the Ukrainian military.

-NATO membership and security guarantees

"It is not possible for NATO to invite only part of Ukraine’s territory. This would mean not only that other parts of our land are in danger but that the remaining part of Ukraine is automatically endangered as well," Zelenskyy noted.

"Ukraine has never intended to involve NATO members’ armies in this war," he added, recalling NATO’s Article 5, which specifies that an attack on any of the member countries of the alliance is effectively an attack against them.

Zelenskyy warned that if NATO countries send troops to Ukraine, "half of the allies would reduce their support."

Costa also noted that the European Union plans to increase its financial support to Ukraine.

"This month, we decided to provide an additional €4.2 billion ($4.4 billion) in aid to support Ukraine's budget. From next month onward, we plan to provide €1.5 billion in assistance every month throughout the year," he said.

Costa also said that the EU is preparing its 15th package of sanctions against Russia.

*Writing by Gizem Nisa Cebi in Istanbul