NATO is not accepting': Zelensky responded to whether he is ready to discuss Ukraine's neutrality.

Zelensky responded to criticism regarding Ukraine's neutral status

President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that he is not ready to discuss Ukraine's neutral status but acknowledged that the country is currently not being accepted into NATO due to the position of the United States. He made these statements during a press conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

Zelensky reacted to comments suggesting that the president planned to discuss Ukraine's neutrality in March 2022. He noted that he never spoke about being ready to discuss this issue. According to him, this was Russia's stance, which raised this issue during the presentation of its ultimatum.

'This was never stated. It was the Russians who raised this question when they came to us with the ultimatum,' the president emphasized.

Zelensky reminded that under Russia's first ultimatum, they demanded that Ukraine have an army consisting of 50,000 to 80,000 military personnel. He emphasized that now the Russians threaten with armed forces of 800,000 military.

The president noted that the occupiers set an ultimatum regarding Ukraine's neutral status and recognition of the occupied territories as Russian. He emphasized that these were demands of the ultimatum, not a proposal to end the war.

Zelensky acknowledged that Ukraine is not accepted into NATO when considering the country's neutrality. He expressed the opinion that joining NATO would resolve many problems and issues. The president pointed out that instead of a lack of military and financial assistance, Ukraine should simply be allowed to join the Alliance. However, currently, the United States, Ukraine's main ally in NATO, does not support Ukraine's accession to the Alliance.

'As of today, this is the case. I believe that we cannot just give in to the Russians. I think it is a significant gift to take this topic off the negotiating table. It is simply wrong,' Zelensky noted.

Zelensky also spoke about new negotiations between Ukraine and the United States in Saudi Arabia and commented on the situation regarding the transfer of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.