Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a new interview that Ukraine will prepare for European Union membership after the war with Russia ends.
“Ukraine has already got a place in the world for itself,” he told Martha Raddatz on “This Week” through a translator. “I consider that as a fact. We are now a country that is respected, a country that is really fighting for human values, for human rights, for freedom, for democracy, and everyone has already understood that it is exactly such a country.
“I assume that Ukraine will be a valued NATO countries’ partner with actually strongest armed forces in Europe,” he added.
Zelensky has previously pushed for the European Union to admit Ukraine to its coalition. He also said that 90 percent of Ukrainian want to be apart of NATO and more than 90 percent want to be admitted to the European Union.
“After the war, we’ll take some time, we’ll make necessary changes to our legal framework in order to finally become E.U. member state,” he said. “I think that the country with such potential is important for the unity. And what is more important is that we are really a democratic nation that is dying for that on the battlefield.”
Zelensky is also pushing for NATO membership once the war is over.
President Biden said in an interview on Sunday that he does not believe Ukraine is ready for NATO membership because it could open the door for members of the alliance, including the U.S. to be in direct war with Russia.
“I think it’s premature to say — to call for a vote…there’s other qualifications that need to be met, including democratization and some of those issues,” Biden told.
“I think we have to lay out … the rational path for Russia — for, excuse me, for Ukraine — to be able to qualify to get into NATO,” he added.