'Not Begging': Ukraine No Longer Keen To Join NATO Membership; Any Hope For An Armistice?

As the Russia-Ukraine conflict enters its 14th day, the latter has reported a significant development. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Tuesday, March 8, said that he is no longer pressing for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership for the country.

NATO Afraid Of Russia

The President said that the intergovernmental military alliance was not prepared to accept Ukraine, as it was afraid of confrontation with Russia and controversial things.

Ukraine's interest in NATO membership has been reported to be one of the significant causes of the current warfare, given that Russia does not want the country to join the international organisation.

'No Begging'

Referring to the membership, Zelenskyy said he does not want to be President of a country that is begging something on its knees, NDTV reported.

Open For Discussing Status Of Donetsk & Lugansk

Besides, the President is open to discussing the status of the two breakaway pro-Russian domains of Donetsk and Lugansk, the territories that Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised as independent before ordering the military operation on February 24. Zelenskyy said he was ready to compromise on the status of the regions.

"I am talking about security guarantees. No one has recognised these two territories but Russia, these pseudo republics. But we can discuss and find a compromise on how these territories will live on," the media quoted the President as saying.

He urged Putin to start a dialogue instead of 'living in the information bubble without oxygen'.

'Promises Unkept By West'

A day before, Zelenskyy called out western countries and denounced them, stating that they had not kept their promises of protecting Ukraine. The responsibility for the casualties from the invasion rested on them, he added.

"It's been 13 days we've been hearing promises, 13 days we've been told we'll be helped in the air, that there will be planes, that they will be delivered to us," the President had said.

He said that those who couldn't secure the Ukrainian sky from the Russian assassins, despite their capability, should be ashamed.

Hope For War End?

The indication of Ukraine dropping pitch for NATO membership could also be seen as an end to weeks of warfare that has claimed several lives forced people to leave their roots, education institutions, and so forth.

Earlier in February, Ukraine Ambassador to Britain, Vadym Prystaiko, had told the media that the country might drop joining NATO in a bid to avoid war. Prystaiko had said that Ukraine was willing to be flexible over its goal to join the alliance.

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