Asked about NATO, Zelensky says Ukraine should not change its constitution
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaking during a press conference in Brussels on Dec 18.
PHOTO: AFP
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- Zelensky initially suggested dropping Ukraine's NATO ambition for security guarantees akin to NATO's Article 5.
- Zelensky stated on December 18th that he sees "no need to change" Ukraine's constitution regarding NATO membership.
- He affirmed that constitutional decisions should be made by Ukrainians, rejecting external pressure for concessions.
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KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec 18 he saw no need to change Ukraine’s constitution, which enshrines its aim to become a NATO member state, days after offering to drop that ambition in exchange for hard security guarantees.
A block on Ukraine joining the military alliance has consistently been a core Russian demand to end its nearly four-year war against its neighbour.
Mr Zelensky said on Dec 14 that Ukraine could compromise on NATO membership if given bilateral security guarantees with protections similar to NATO’s Article 5, which considers an attack on one member as an attack against all.
“To be honest, I don’t think we need to change our country’s constitution,” Mr Zelensky said on Dec 18 when asked about it by a reporter, adding that the Ukrainian people should make decisions about their constitution.
“Certainly not because of calls from the Russian Federation or anyone else,” he said.
Mr Zelensky has long said that security guarantees against further Russian incursions, backed by its allies including the United States, were an essential part of any potential peace deal.
However, on Dec 18, he said discussions risked moving towards pressuring Ukraine to trade concessions elsewhere in exchange for those guarantees.
While he acknowledged there had been no direct suggestions of this during the talks, any such bartering for security guarantees was a non-starter for Kyiv.
“There must be partnership. There can be no question of exchange here,” he said.
Kyiv has enshrined a strategic goal of membership of NATO and the European Union in its constitution since 2019. It has, however, acknowledged that it would not currently be welcomed into NATO by all its members. REUTERS
