NEW DELHI: Ukrainian envoy Oleksandr Polishchuk reaffirmed on Monday that Ukraine is determined to become a member of both the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), speaking at an event commemorating the third anniversary of the ongoing conflict with Russia.
“We will become a member of the European Union, and we will be part of NATO in the future. We don’t need anybody’s permission for it, as we are an independent country,” the envoy said as European diplomats gathered in large numbers to express solidarity with Ukraine.
His comments come in the wake of a meeting between the United States and Russia on Ukraine in Saudi Arabia and former US President Donald Trump criticising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for negotiating without leverage.
Trump also claimed that the US was owed USD 500 billion worth of Ukraine’s resources—including mineral deposits, oil and gas, and infrastructure such as ports—in exchange for past military aid provided to defend against Russia. Zelenskyy, however, rejected the proposal, insisting that any agreements on mineral resources must be tied to post-conflict US security guarantees.
The Ukrainian president also suggested he was open to stepping down if it would secure Ukraine’s NATO membership. When asked at a press conference on Sunday whether he would resign to ensure peace, Zelenskyy said, “If it guarantees peace for Ukraine, if you really need me to resign, I am ready. I can exchange it for NATO.”
“We will finish this war. Our solidarity is tested. But we are united together, and we are fighting,” said the envoy. He spoke about a symbolic gesture by schoolchildren who “raised 1,000 yellow and blue balloons to the sky” wishing for an “end to the war.” European diplomats also lit candles in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
“It’s a tribute to all those who are fighting. We will never give up, and we will fight this aggression,” Polishchuk said.
The envoy stressed that Ukraine is defending “human rights and democracy.” He added, “We have a right to do this. We have a right to live. Our people want to be free, and we want to live in this world as citizens of a free and independent nation.”