Zelenskyy thanks Turkish President Erdogan for remarks on NATO membership bid

‘Thank you also for principled defense of security in Black Sea, Türkiye is doing historic things for all of us,’ says Ukrainian president

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his remarks on Kyiv's NATO membership bid.

“He (Erdogan) said today that he really sees Ukraine moving closer to membership in the Alliance. This means a lot. I thank you!” Zelenskyy said in a video address on Telegram late Wednesday on his way back to Ukraine from the NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.

Zelenskyy also thanked Erdogan for Türkiye’s principled defense of security in the Black Sea, saying Türkiye is doing “historic things for all of us.”

Assessing the results of the NATO summit, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine has formed a security foundation on its way to NATO membership for the first time since the country’s independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

The Ukrainian president said he and his delegation are returning from the NATO summit with “a good reinforcement with weapons,” including air defense, missiles, armored vehicles and artillery, adding that the security guarantees they have received are concrete ones confirmed by G-7 countries.

“Never before have we had such a security foundation, and this is the level of the G-7. On this foundation, we will build a new, legally binding architecture of bilateral security treaties with the most powerful countries,” Zelenskyy said.

He further said that they have eliminated “any doubts or ambiguities” concerning whether Ukraine will be in NATO, stating not only do all NATO countries agree on this, but that the significant majority of the Western military alliance is pushing for it.

“Never before have the words ‘you are equal among equals’ for Ukraine from other NATO members sounded truly meaningful. Now everyone understands that this is a fact. Equal among equals. And we will definitely reaffirm this fact with our victory. And with our accession to NATO,” Zelenskyy said.

“Previously, Russia's rulers wanted to have their own fence in front of NATO's door. We have left this Russian ambition on the margins of European history - behind the fence of our unity in Europe and, more broadly, in the free world,” he added.

He also thanked other NATO members for their positions and military support for Ukraine.

Kaynak:

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