Ukraine states NATO membership will end war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the NATO membership was the only way to end the war, a controversial point for Russia.

CAPE TOWN, April 6 (ANA) – After speaking by phone with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a path to NATO membership was the only way to end the war in the eastern Donbass region.

Since the rebels captured a swath of land in the Donbass in April 2014, Ukrainian government troops have fought Russian-backed separatists in the country’s eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions.

Zelensky said it was time for NATO to step ahead with Ukraine’s membership in a tweet following the call with Stoltenberg.

According to Zelensky, his government hopes to join a NATO Membership Action Plan this year.

“NATO is the only way to end the war in Donbass. Ukraine’s MAP (Membership Action Plan) will be a real signal for Russia,” he said, according to a statement released by Ukraine’s government.

Later, Zelensky spoke by phone with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, according to Deutsche Welle (DW) News.

“As a special partner of Ukraine, Canada could take the lead among allies who support a MAP solution for Ukraine. Canada’s support will be an important signal of support from true friends,” the official statement said.

According to Zelenskyy, such a move would serve as a “solid deterrent” to Russia, which annexed Ukraine’s southern Crimean peninsula in March 2014 following a widespread uprising that ousted President Viktor Yanukovych.

Stoltenberg expressed support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity but did not say if Nato was willing to propose a so-called Mutual Assistance Plan.

“I called President Zelensky to express serious concern about Russia’s military activities in and around Ukraine and ongoing ceasefire violations,” he said, according to Financial Times.

People in eastern Ukraine would not recognise NATO membership, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, in which there was further indication that it would destabilise the Donbass region.

“So far we’re not seeing an intention by the Ukrainian side to somehow calm down and move away from belligerent topics,” Peskov said.

However, Ukraine’s relations with NATO have grown stronger in recent years, with Kyiv sending troops to participate in Nato’s response forces, drills, and operations, such as those in Afghanistan and Kosovo.

– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Naomi Mackay