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A Western official familiar with Zelenskyy’s talks in Washington stated that there are early signs Biden might agree to move Ukraine’s membership application forward before his term ends in January.
According to the report, Volodymyr Zelenskyy left Washington without key progress on two important issues: U.S. approval for using Western weapons for long-range strikes on Russian territory and progress on Ukraine’s NATO membership.
The Biden administration opposes both issues, fearing that they could provoke Russia to escalate the war, potentially drawing in the U.S. and other allies.
As reported by FT, American officials were not impressed by Zelenskyy’s “Victory Plan,” which calls for a significant supply of Western weaponry.
An advisor involved in preparing the document told the publication that Zelenskyy had no choice but to reiterate his insistence on NATO membership, as anything else would be seen as retreating on the issue of Western security guarantees.
“Land in exchange for NATO membership is the only real strategy, and everyone knows it. No one says it out loud… but it’s the only strategy on the table,” a senior Western official stated.
Read also: The new NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, announced Ukraine as his priority
