Zelenskyy Seeks Positive Decision on Ukraine NATO Bid at July Summit

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a joint news briefing with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 20, 2023. (Alina Smutko/Reuters)

COPENHAGEN—Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a new appeal to NATO on Monday to make a “positive political decision” on Kyiv’s membership bid at a July summit.

Ukraine’s Western partners have provided it with weapons to fight Russia’s invasion. But Kyiv wants stronger security guarantees for the future and hopes to join the NATO military alliance, which is due to hold a summit in Vilnius in July.

“It is time to remove the biggest security uncertainty in Europe—that is, to approve a positive political decision on [Ukrainian] membership in NATO,” he said in a video address to the Copenhagen Democracy Summit.

“This is worth doing at the July summit already. This will be a timely signal.”

Zelenskyy is on a tour of European capitals to shore up support before an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive to try to retake Russian-occupied territory.