Volker: Ukraine must push for NATO membership, the only thing Putin respects

Ukraine must continue insisting on NATO membership because it is the only thing Russian dictator Vladimir Putin respects, according to Kurt Volker, former U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations (2017–2019). He expressed this opinion in an interview with LIGA.net.

Commenting on security guarantees for Ukraine, Volker stated that Kyiv must persist in advocating for NATO membership.

"This is the only thing Putin respects. He already knows that assurances like the Budapest Memorandum don't work and aren't taken seriously," the diplomat said.

For this reason, he believes Ukraine should focus specifically on joining NATO.

"As for timing, I think the timeline to push for is immediate. We should say that as soon as there is a ceasefire, as soon as the fighting stops, we must bring Ukraine into NATO," Volker said.

He added that this step is necessary to prevent further aggression against Ukraine. NATO membership is meant to deter Russian aggression.

"People currently think that since the war is ongoing, NATO membership would mean NATO is at war with Russia. We need to change this mindset and show that, in fact, it's the opposite. You want the fighting to stop and then bring Ukraine into NATO to prevent future wars," Volker said.

According to him, this is a measure of deterrence. At the same time, Volker acknowledged that NATO might need to defend Ukraine in the future if necessary, but the primary goal is to prevent such a scenario.