Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on NATO to allow Ukraine to join the alliance, arguing that the country's proven defensive capabilities would strengthen the collective defense. Speaking at NATO's defence industry forum in Ankara, Turkey, Zelenskyy questioned whether it would be right to exclude a nation that has developed such robust military capacity during its five-year war against Russia.
"I have a question for you. Do you really believe it would be right to leave outside NATO a country and a people with this level of defensive capability?" Zelenskyy said. "If we already have these capabilities, if Ukrainians already know how to fight like this, then it does make sense for these capabilities to become a part of the alliance's collective defence that would make all of us stronger."
Ukraine's Military Transformation
Zelenskyy highlighted how the war has transformed Ukraine's industrial and military capabilities. He noted that Ukrainian drones recently struck an oil refinery in Omsk, Siberia, 1,680 miles from the border, demonstrating the ability to hit deep into Russian territory. "We have completely eliminated the very idea of Russia having a strategic rear," he said. New Ukrainian missiles and drones represent "a revolutionary change" in warfare, though he added "we take no pride in this," as it was forced upon the country to defend its people.
Ukraine has achieved an interception rate of over 90% for Shahed drones and is improving its ability to knock out cruise missiles. However, Russian ballistic missiles remain a critical threat. On Monday, 23 Russian ballistic missiles struck Kyiv, killing at least 15 people, with none intercepted due to a shortage of US Patriot interceptors.
Need for European Anti-Ballistic Systems
Zelenskyy emphasized Europe's urgent need to develop its own anti-ballistic missile systems. "The one thing we still need to do here in Europe is build a strong defence against Russian ballistic missiles," he said. "I believe Europe urgently needs its own capability to produce anti-ballistic systems and the missiles they require," because US Patriot supplies are insufficient.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimates that between 1,060 and 1,430 Patriot interceptor missiles were used during the US-Iran conflict in spring 2024. Each takes two years to manufacture, and Lockheed Martin produces about 600 of the most advanced PAC-3 version annually.
NATO Membership Prospects
Despite Zelenskyy's appeal, Ukraine's NATO membership remains distant. Allies, including the US, are reluctant to admit a country at war with nuclear-armed Russia. Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump on Wednesday for bilateral talks. Trump separately spoke with Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin over the weekend, expressing optimism about mediation efforts. "I think they both want to make a deal. ... I think we're going to get it settled, hopefully soon," Trump said.
Conflict Statistics and NATO Support
A senior NATO official briefed that Russian forces advanced only 3.79 square kilometers per day in June, a quarter of the rate a year ago, while suffering 30,000 to 35,000 casualties monthly. Russia launched about 8,300 munitions at Ukraine in May, including 8,150 drones and 211 missiles, while Ukraine responded with 10,000 long-range drones. Ukraine has knocked out about 20% of Russia's oil-refining capacity, and its strikes have weakened Russia's hold on Crimea, with a state of emergency declared there.
At the NATO industry event, alliance members announced over $50 billion in arms deals, supported by increased defense spending. A year ago, NATO members agreed to lift defense spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035.
