Zelensky on security guarantees: “Minsk 3” off table

The head of the Ukrainian state stated this in an interview with Piers Morgan, Ukrinform reports.

“I remember everything that happened as soon as I became President: there was the Minsk deal, there was a contact line, and people were dying along it every day. Yes, there were no mass killings, I mean there were no such massive artillery strikes, but something would happen every day. Families would lose their loved ones: military, civilians. Artillery shells were also flying at schools, etc. In other words, all this was very, very wrong. And then there was also a troop withdrawal. I heard from someone today: a ceasefire should be declared there, then comes a withdrawal of troops. Believe me, this would be ‘Minsk 3’. We definitely won’t go for a Minsk-3. These are not security guarantees for Ukraine. We need guarantees, because guarantees are important for everyone,” Zelensky said.

He emphasized that the best guarantee for Ukraine would be NATO membership.

“NATO is a guarantee that Putin will be unlikely to attack us again. NATO is a guarantee for NATO countries that they will be reinforced by a Ukrainian contingent of hundreds of thousands of troops. And this is a strong NATO army. This is very important for everyone. NATO is a guarantee for the Russians that Ukraine will not go to war with them over time, but will resolve all issues exclusively through diplomacy. That is why I said that NATO is a guarantee for everyone. Stable and cheaper,” the president said.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on December 3, in a statement on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Budapest Memorandum, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said the only real guarantee of security for Ukraine, as well as a deterrent against further Russian aggression against Ukraine and other states, is only Ukraine’s full membership of NATO.