The remarks were more symbolic than practical: Ukraine’s swift entry into the alliance would require members to immediately send troops to fight Russia, under collective defense obligations. Ukraine has long sought NATO membership, but Zelensky admitted in March that Ukraine had to accept that it was not going to be accepted into the Western military alliance, despite receiving security assistance from its countries. “De facto, we have already taken the road to NATO,” Zelensky said in a statement on Telegram. “De facto, we have already proven our compatibility with Alliance standards. They are true for Ukraine — true on the battlefield and in all aspects of our interaction. We trust each other, we help each other and we protect each other.” In practice, the chances of Ukraine joining NATO have only decreased during the Russian invasion. Member states, including the United States, have drawn clear lines: They are arming Ukraine but have no troops of their own on the ground out of concern about sparking a World War. Just an hour before Zelensky’s announcement, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Moscow’s illegal annexation of the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson, which Russian forces have partially captured. At the time of Putin’s speech, Zelensky was meeting with his National Security Council. “There will be no negotiations with Russia while Putin is president,” Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s chief of staff, told Telegram. “We are moving forward. For the win.”
