The Ukrainian president said his country is submitting an "accelerated" application to join the NATO military alliance.
President Volodymyr Zelensky's comments Friday came shortly after Russia announced it would annex four regions of Ukraine it had occupied during the war, leading to a referendum at gunpoint deemed illegal by the international community.
Mr Zelensky said:
"We are taking a decisive step by signing Ukraine's application for accelerated NATO membership."
It was not initially clear what the "accelerated" application meant, as joining NATO requires the unanimous support of allied members. “In fact, compatibility with Alliance standards has already been proven. They are real for Ukraine, real on the battlefield and in all aspects of our interactions,” said Zelensky. "We trust each other, help each other, and protect each other. This is the Alliance. ”
Zelensky also reiterated his pledge to reintegrate all Ukrainian territories currently held by Russia.
"The whole territory of our country will be wiped out of this enemy. The enemy is not only Ukraine, but the enemy of life itself, humanity, justice and truth," he said. "Russia already knows that. She feels our strength. She thinks that here in Ukraine she is proving the strength of our values."
In response to Putin's call for negotiations, Zelensky added:
"Ready for dialogue with Russia, but with another Russian president"
The war rapidly accelerated Ukraine's westward shift. During Russia's Seven Months War, the country decommissioned its Soviet-era weapon systems and used NATO standard treaties and weapons, a process that is still ongoing.
In June, the European Union agreed to put Ukraine on her path to EU membership. The swiftness of the move - almost unthinkable a few months ago - required the unanimous approval of the often rebellious bloc members.
Although there is considerable overlap between the EU and NATO member states, reaching an agreement on Ukraine's participation in the security alliance and guarantees of mutual defense could be much more difficult. An immediate obstacle to Ukraine's accession is that it is already embroiled in an active military confUkraine accelerates NATO bid as Russia annexes seized areaslict within Ukraine.