Zelensky admits not all NATO countries wish to see Ukraine as alliance member

MOSCOW. June 3 (Interfax) - Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has said some NATO countries are unwilling to see Ukraine as a member of the alliance, Ukrainian media reported with reference to Zelensky's interview to The Wall Street Journal.

Some NATO members are unwilling to admit Ukraine owing to fear of Russia, Zelensky said when asked what Kiev was expecting from the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius.

"If we are not given a signal in Vilnius, I believe there is no point for Ukraine to be at this summit," he said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba described a NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) as an outdated mechanism.

"We believe a MAP should no longer be considered an element on a path toward membership. This is an outdated mechanism and shouldn't be applied to Ukraine," Kuleba said at a joint press briefing with Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna in Kiev.

Kuleba said preparations for the NATO summit in Vilnius and Ukraine's expectations from it were among the subjects of his talks with Tsahkna.

"I have formulated our expectations clearly and candidly, and they coincide with Estonia's position. Definitely, a step toward Ukraine's becoming a NATO member and security guarantees for Ukraine are key. We will be very open but tough in defending these points. We understand that we are not a NATO member and cannot dictate decisions to the alliance, but we are fully entitled to fight for Euro-Atlantic security even though we are not a NATO member yet," Kuleba said.

Ukraine's accession to NATO is inevitable and "will occur sooner or later," Kuleba said.

"The Euro-Atlantic area cannot be protected without Ukraine. And we should change the minds of those who think that we had better become a member later than sooner," he said.

Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk called on the parliaments of the NATO countries to issue statements in support of inviting Ukraine to the alliance at the Vilnius summit.

"Among the key decisions of the upcoming summit, we would like to see an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance or the development of a clear algorithm of Ukraine's movement toward NATO. That said, we understand that a decision on Ukraine requires a consensus of all the alliance members. I am urging your parliaments to facilitate the forming of this consensus in every possible way," Ukrainian media quoted Stefanchuk as saying in a statement at a meeting between parliamentary speakers of NATO countries in Vilnius on Friday.

"I am urging you to adopt a statement in support of inviting Ukraine to join NATO at the Vilnius summit," he said.

"NATO membership can be the only efficient security guarantee for Ukraine," he said.