Zelenskyy Says Ukraine Is No Longer Just a Security Beneficiary, Reiterates Call for NATO Membership

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, attended the defense forum at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Ankara, Turkey, and once again strongly stressed the need for Ukraine to join NATO.
According to Euronews and other foreign media outlets on the 7th (local time), Zelenskyy said in his speech, "Do you really think it is right to keep a country and a people with the most advanced battlefield response capabilities in Europe outside NATO?" He added, "The unmatched defensive capabilities and technology that the Ukrainian military has built through intense real combat will make NATO's collective defense system much stronger."
Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine is no longer merely a recipient of security but has become a provider of security protecting all of Europe. He said Ukraine's accession to NATO is "an entirely natural and obvious step forward."
Until now, Kyiv had taken a somewhat cautious stance on pushing for membership, as U.S. President Donald Trump had maintained a negative view of Ukraine's bid to join NATO.
However, the mood has recently shifted following the conflict between the United States and Israel and Iran in the Middle East. Gulf countries have begun paying attention to Ukraine's advanced drone interception technology to block Iranian missile and drone attacks, turning Ukraine almost overnight from a vulnerable frontline state into a "leader" in global defense innovation.
Zelenskyy also showcased to the world that Ukraine possesses not only drone interception capabilities but also powerful medium- and long-range strike capabilities. He continued his show of force by directly referring to the bombing of an oil refinery in Omsk, Siberia, Russia, carried out two days earlier.
He declared, "Ukrainian drones broke through Russia's air defenses and struck a key refinery in Siberia, 2,500 kilometers away." He added, "Russia's strategic illusion that military facilities deep inside its territory would be safe has been completely shattered." He then warned, "This is not a one-off incident but a new reality, and there are now no major refineries in Russia beyond Ukraine's reach."
However, Zelenskyy identified the lack of ballistic missile defense systems as the only and most dangerous weakness facing Ukraine and Europe as a whole. He noted that current Western production of air defense missiles is far too limited to cope with the large-scale air raids taking place on the Ukrainian front and across the Middle East.
He appealed, "Those who seek to protect lives need more Patriot missiles," and urged European countries to develop their own mass production systems without delay.
Zelenskyy is expected to directly ask Trump during the summit to share the technology license for the United States' key air defense system, the Patriot interceptor missile, with Ukraine.


jjyoon@fnnews.com Yoon Jae-jun Reporter