Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky Halts NATO Membership Amid Russian Invasion, US Bans Russian Oil Imports
- Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, says his country is pumping the brakes on NATO membership
- Zelensky says he realises that countries who are part of NATO do not want to deal with controversies or Russia
- US President Joe Biden says in an effort to impede Russia, the USA will no longer accept Russian oil imports
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WASHINGTON - Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says he is no longer pursuing membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), stating that he realises that NATO is not yet prepared to accept Ukraine.
President Vladimir Putin partly attributes Russia's invasion of Ukraine to the fact that Ukraine intended to join NATO.
Source: Getty Images
Zelensky made these remarks during an interview on ABC News on Monday night, 7 March. Zelensky also stated that he would be willing to compromise on the two territories that have broken away from Ukraine and are now recognised as independent by Putin, reports EWN.
"I have cooled down regarding this question a long time ago after we understood that ... Nato is not prepared to accept Ukraine," said Zelensky.
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Zelensky says NATO members are afraid of dealing with controversial matters and confronting Russia. Putin had stated that Ukraine joining NATO would be a threat to his country since the Western countries involved would put up military bases at his doorstep.
President Joe Biden bans all Russian oil imports in the USA
On Tuesday, 8 March, United States of America President Joe Biden held a media briefing to announce additional sanctions the USA intends to place on Russia. Biden stated that his country will halt all Russian oil and gas imports as Russian troops continue to invade Ukrainian cities, reports SABC News.
"That means Russian oil will no longer be acceptable to US port. The American people will deal another powerful blow to Putin's war machine," said Biden.
Biden understands that while other is a united approach from NATO, the European Union and other allies not to fund Russia's war, some nations may not be in the same position to cut off oil imports from Russia.
Biden explains that the USA is in the position to take this step because the country produces more oil than EU countries combined; however, the US is currently engaging in talks with EU nations to develop a strategic plan that will help reduce their dependency on Russia for oil.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky refuses to leave Kyiv despite Russian invasion, praised for bravery
Briefly News previously reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took to social media on Monday, 7 March to share a video of himself in his presidential office in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.
It has been almost two weeks since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and Zelensky says he has no intention of hiding or running away.
Since the start of the invasion on 24 February, Zelensky has stated that while he believes he's the number one target and does not plan to leave Kyiv, reports BusinessInsider.
Source: Briefly News
