NATO Membership Or Nuclear Weapons: Zelensky Stuns Allies With Demand
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, having received a lackluster response when he pitched his 'victory plan' to US officials in Washington last month, now says that Ukraine must either join NATO or obtain nuclear weapons.
He made the ultra provocative comments while speaking before the EU’s European Council in Brussels, where he presented the victory plan before European lawmakers. That's when he referenced a recent private conversation with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, saying he told Trump that his country needs "some kind of alliance" or be "forced to pursue nuclear weapons."
"In a conversation with Donald Trump I said – this is our situation: What way out do we have? Either Ukraine will have nuclear weapons, which for us will be a defense, or we’ll need to have some sort of alliance, besides NATO. But today we know of no other alliance," Zelensky said.