Zelensky urges NATO membership for Ukraine, citing strengthened collective defence
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told a NATO defence industry forum that Ukraine’s built-up defensive capabilities merit inclusion in the alliance, while NATO officials noted a slowdown in Russian advances.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to NATO leaders at the alliance’s annual summit, arguing that Ukraine’s newly developed defensive systems merit membership and would "make all of us stronger." He said the country now only needs European assistance to create an alternative to U.S. Patriot missiles for ballistic-missile protection.
Zelensky highlighted recent strikes by Ukrainian drones on an oil refinery in Omsk, Siberia, and claimed that the war has eliminated Russia’s “strategic rear.” He described Ukraine’s new missiles and drones as a “revolutionary change” in warfare, adding that the country has achieved a 90% interception rate of Shahed drones and is improving its ability to counter cruise missiles.
A senior NATO official briefed that Russian forces advanced only 3.79 square kilometres per day in June, a quarter of the pace a year earlier, and continue to suffer 30,000-35,000 casualties monthly. The official also noted that Russia launched about 8,300 munitions at Ukraine in May, while Ukraine responded with roughly 10,000 long-range drones.
Despite Zelensky’s push, NATO members, including the United States, remain reluctant to admit a country actively at war with nuclear-armed Russia. The president is scheduled to attend a leaders’ dinner in Ankara and meet U.S. President Donald Trump, who has expressed optimism about a possible settlement to the conflict.
Zelensky warned that Europe still lacks sufficient anti-ballistic-missile capability, citing a recent attack on Kyiv in which 23 Russian ballistic missiles struck the capital without interception due to a shortage of U.S. Patriot interceptors. He called for Europe to develop its own production capacity for such systems.
At the same forum, NATO allies announced more than $50 billion in arms deals and reaffirmed a commitment to raise defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035.