Source: Zelensky in an interview with Associated Press
Details: According to Zelensky, without security guarantees from Ukraine's allies, any agreement made with Russia will only serve as a pretext for future aggression. Membership in NATO remains Ukraine's primary choice.
The President believes that NATO membership is the "cheapest" option for Ukraine's allies, and it would also strengthen Trump in geopolitical terms.
Zelensky's direct speech: "I truly believe that these are the cheapest security guarantees that Ukraine can receive, the cheapest for everyone...
This will signal that it won't be Russia deciding who should be in NATO and who shouldn't, but the United States will make that decision. I think this is a significant victory for Trump."
Moreover, according to Zelensky, an 800,000-strong Ukrainian army would be a bonus for the Alliance, especially if Trump aims to bring home American troops stationed abroad.
He stated that other proposals for security guarantees should be backed by a sufficient amount of weapons from the U.S. and Europe, as well as support for Kyiv in developing its own defense industry.
Zelensky also mentioned that the French proposal to deploy European forces in Ukraine to deter Russian aggression is taking shape, but many questions remain regarding command and control structure, troop numbers, and their positions.
He noted that this issue was raised by French President Emmanuel Macron with Trump: "I said in the presence of both leaders that we are interested in this as part of security guarantees, but not as the sole security guarantee. That is not enough."
Zelensky's direct speech: "Imagine, there is a contingent. The question is, who is in charge? Who is in command? What will they do if there are Russian strikes? Missiles, landings, attacks from the sea, crossing the land border, offensives. What will they do? What are their powers?"
When asked if he posed these questions directly to Macron, Zelensky replied: "We are still in the process: 'We are still in the process of this dialogue'."