Nato should let Ukraine join to ‘make all of us stronger’, says Zelenskyy

Key Points:

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged NATO to admit Ukraine, emphasizing the country's advanced defensive capabilities developed during its ongoing conflict with Russia and calling for European support to develop anti-ballistic missile systems independent of US Patriots.
• Despite Ukraine's military progress, including striking deep into Russian territory and significantly degrading Russian oil refining capacity, NATO membership remains distant due to concerns about admitting a country actively at war with nuclear-armed Russia.
• Russia's offensive has slowed considerably, with daily advances reduced to a quarter of last year's rate and sustained heavy casualties, while Ukraine's defense has improved interception rates of drones and is working to counter Russia's ballistic missile threat.
• Zelenskyy highlighted the need for Europe to build its own anti-ballistic missile defenses amid shortages of US Patriot interceptors, which have been depleted following US military actions in the Middle East.
• At the NATO summit, alliance members announced over $50 billion in arms deals and committed to increasing defense spending, aiming for 3.5% of GDP by 2035, reflecting heightened support for Ukraine and collective security measures.