Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Kyiv’s Western allies to open the door to full membership of NATO after he blasted the organization over its ‘absurd’ delays to granting them a spot inside the mutual defense club.
In a fiery speech in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, Zelensky, dressed in his now-trademark olive green military fatigues, spoke to a crowd of thousands after arriving for crunch talks with the 31-nation alliance.
‘NATO will give Ukraine security, Ukraine will make NATO stronger,’ said the former actor said, flanked by his wife Olena Zelenska and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.
DailyMail.com was granted exclusive backstage access after the Ukrainian president’s speech where he exchanged words with his Lithuanian counterpart Gitanas Nauseda
Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska stood together for the Ukrainian national anthem after onlookers cheers his fiery speech backing NATO membership for Kyiv
Thousands of people descended upon downtown Vilnius to hear Zelensky’s short address
His speech was delivered in Ukrainian, and then recounted by a Lithuanian translator. sparked cheers from the crowd.
He evoked the long-running battle for Bakhmut by hoisting a Ukrainian army flag from the eastern Ukrainian city.
‘Bakhmut is one of the most decisive battles for freedom in Europe, and that is how our children and grandchildren will remember it,’ Zelensky said.
Onlookers waved Ukrainian flags and chanted ‘Slava Ukraini’ (Glory to Ukraine) as the 45-year-old wartime leader demanded that his country be given a clear pathway to joining.
He thanked Lithuania for a ‘clear, honest and courageous position’ on backing Kyiv’s bid before a rendition of his country’s national anthem.
Upon leaving the stage at the city’s Lukiškės Square – that had been forcibly renamed to Lenin Square during the Soviet occupation of Lithuania – Zelensky briefly exchanged words with the country’s president Gitanas Nausėda before being whisked away by his military security detail.
The Ukrainian leader ignored questions from DailyMail.com about whether he would press Biden for U.S. stocks of the ATACMS long-range missile system.
Upon leaving Lukiškės Square, Zelensky was whisked away by his military security detail ahead of planned talks with Joe Biden on Wednesday
Earlier in the day, Zelensky had lashed out at what he called an ‘absurd’ delay in spelling out a timeline to full membership of the Brussels-based alliance.
Kyiv and NATO members in eastern Europe believe only bringing Ukraine under its collective defense umbrella will deter Moscow.
Key powers like the United States and Germany have been wary of going much beyond a vow in 2008 that said Ukraine will join one day, without setting a timeframe.
Zelensky will hold talks with Joe Biden and French president Emmanuel Macron where he will make his case for full membership.
In the interim, the U.S., the U.K, France and Germany will offer a series of legally binding security guarantees to protect Ukraine from any future Russian aggression.
paper by ex-NATO chief Ander Fogh Rasmussen and his chief of staff Andriy Yermak last year suggested a Kyiv Security Compact, effectively shadow alliance membership, to protect the country and its people.
It said that it should include US, Great Britain, Canada, Poland, Italy, Germany, France, Australia, and Turkey, as well as Baltic, Central and Eastern Europe.
Ukraine was first considered for NATO membership in 2008 but was never offered a formal process to join amid fears that Russia would be provoked by such a move.
Under Article 5 of the alliance’s mutual defense treaty, an attack on one NATO ally is considered as an attack on all.
But it is not automatic, and the clause requires the approval of all NATO countries to be triggered.
The thorny issue of Ukrainian membership is not the only split to overshadow the two-day meeting, with questions being raised about the U.S. decision to send controversial cluster bombs to Ukraine.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had been amongst a chorus of voices who raised concerns about shipping the highly lethal arms to the war-torn country.
The hope is that the weapons could help bolster the Ukrainian counter-offensive as its forces run low on ammunition.
But in a response to DailyMail.com, Sullivan dismissed claims that the 31-nation military alliance was fractured over its backing of the Ukrainian military.
‘I would say rumors of the death of NATO’s unity were greatly exaggerated,’ he said. ‘Vladimir Putin has been counting on the West to crack, NATO to crack and the transatlantic alliance to crack and he has been disappointed with every turn.’
The Russian tyrant will be ‘very much disappointed’ by what emerges from the meeting in Lithuania, Sullivan added.
There was better news for Ukraine on some front: a training program for F-16 fighter jets was formally signed off and French president Emmanuel Macron said he would ship France’s long-range SCALP missiles to Kyiv’s armed forces.
It follows a decision by Britain in May to its own version of the missile system, known as Storm Shadows, becoming the first country to supply long-range missiles and help the Ukrainian military drive out the Russian invaders.
Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly welcomed the announcement.
‘If other countries in the (NATO) alliance are able to make donations in various forms, that’s great,’ the UK’s top diplomat said. ‘There is no reason at all why we would want any other thinking.’
Macron’s move could see Biden face calls from Ukraine hawks in Congress to stump up U.S. stocks of ATACMS missiles.
Washington is the biggest backer of the Ukrainian war effort, providing more than $40 billion in military aid.
But the White House has repeatedly refused to grant the 190-mile range missiles amid fears they could attack deep inside Russia’s internationally-recognized borders.
Officials have argued that sending the weapons would be an escalatory move that could provoke Vladimir Putin to lash out.
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