Zelensky says it's time for NATO to invite Ukraine into alliance
The Hindu
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 20 it was time for NATO to take the political decision to invite Ukraine to join the military alliance, and that Kyiv wanted to know when it would become a member.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 20 it was time for NATO to take the political decision to invite Ukraine to join the military alliance, and that Kyiv wanted to know when it would become a member.
The Ukrainian leader told a joint news conference in wartime Kyiv with visiting NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg that a NATO summit in Vilnius in July could become "historic", and that he had been invited to attend.
"I am grateful for the invitation to visit the summit, but it is also important for Ukraine to receive the corresponding invitation," he told reporters as Mr. Stoltenberg visited Kyiv for the first time since Russia's invasion in February last year.
"There is not a single objective barrier to the political decision to invite Ukraine into the alliance and now, when most people in NATO countries and the majority of Ukrainians support NATO accession, is the time for the corresponding decisions."
Ukraine, which gained independence from the Moscow-led Soviet Union in 1991, announced a bid for fast-track membership of NATO last September after the Kremlin said it had annexed four Ukrainian regions that its troops have partially occupied.
"We interpret this visit of the Secretary-General, the first of the full-scale war, as a sign that the alliance is ready to start a new chapter in relations with Ukraine, the chapter of ambitious decision," Mr. Zelensky said.
He said Ukraine also wanted security guarantees on its path to becoming a NATO member one day.
Violent protests in Pakistan by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lead to deaths and injuries, prompting army deployment and shoot at sight orders.
Russian tourist found dead in Uttarakhand hot spring, believed to have died of heart attack; body being sent to Russia.
Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh join armed struggle in Myanmar, raising concerns of escalating violence and regional involvement.
Lebanese Shia Muslims suffer in Israel-Hezbollah war, fearing unfair targeting and escalating conflict across Lebanon.
President Joe Biden pardons turkeys Peach and Blossom, marking the start of his last holiday season at the White House.
President-elect Donald Trump threatens to impose tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China to combat illegal immigration and drugs.
State Department Spokesperson defers to Department of Justice on Adani indictment, leading to disruptions in Indian Parliament.
Justice Department drops case against Trump, citing policy against prosecuting sitting Presidents, ending landmark effort to hold him accountable.
Protests erupt in Dhaka demanding release of ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das arrested for flag insult allegations.
The 29th edition of the Conference of Parties (COP29), held at Baku in Azerbaijan, is arguably the most important of the United Nations’ climate conferences. It was supposed to conclude on November 22, after nearly 11 days of negotiations and the whole purpose was for the world to take a collective step forward in addressing rising carbon emissions.
Global negotiations aim to create a U.N.-mediated treaty to end plastic pollution, with focus on production and management.