Zelenskyy plans to call Biden to raise Ukraine’s NATO invitation issue

ISTANBUL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Monday that he plans to call US President Joe Biden "in the near future" to discuss his country’s invitation to join NATO.

“I'm going to call President Biden in the near future, if he has the opportunity to talk to me, and raise the issue of an invitation to NATO. Because he is the acting president of the United States, and a lot depends on his position,” Zelenskyy told reporters following talks with Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany’s main opposition, in the capital Kyiv.

Zelenskyy explained that it remains challenging to discuss the issue with President-elect Donald Trump, as he has not yet assumed office.

He thanked the US for its latest military aid package to Ukraine, valued at nearly $1 billion, describing the assistance as “serious support.”

The Ukrainian president further said that he and Merz also discussed the possibility of a pause in the Russia-Ukraine war, and who will guarantee Kyiv’s security during this potential period.

He went on to argue that they can consider and will work on French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to deploy foreign troops in Ukraine, which would guarantee the country’s security while it is not part of the alliance.

“But before that, we must have a clear understanding of when Ukraine will be in the EU and when Ukraine will be in NATO," Zelenskyy added.