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

Lead

At the NATO summit in Ankara, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has argued that Ukraine should be allowed to join the alliance, saying it would be wrong to exclude a country that has built up strong defences in its long struggle against the Russian invasion. Speaking at NATO’s defence industry forum, Zelenskyy said Ukraine had developed almost all the weapons it needed and now only required European help in developing an alternative to the US Patriots to protect against ballistic missile attack. “I have a question for you. Do you really believe it? Do you really believe it would be right to leave outside Nato, a country and a people with this level of defensive capability?” he said, as reported by The Guardian.

Coverage Comparison

Fox News reported that Zelenskyy is pressuring the US and Europe to provide more missiles to help Ukraine defend against Russian attacks, noting that Kyiv came under a massive Russian attack on Monday. The outlet quoted Zelenskyy as saying, “Last night, Kyiv came under a massive Russian attack. Russia launched 68 missiles and 351 attack drones,” and reported his call for the US and European allies to emerge from the summit “with strong decisions in support of” Ukraine’s “air defense.” Fox News also noted that President Donald Trump is slated to attend the NATO summit in Ankara this week.

The Guardian’s coverage focused on Zelenskyy’s argument for NATO membership, framing it as a bid to join the alliance. The outlet also reported on the broader summit context, including divisions over Russia’s war in Ukraine, defence spending, and the US-Israel war in Iran, with signs of the fragile ceasefire collapsing. The Guardian described the US president as being in a combative mood as NATO leaders meet for the two-day summit.

Key Claims

• Zelenskyy’s push for NATO membership: The Guardian reported that Zelenskyy argued that Ukraine’s defensive capabilities should become part of the alliance’s collective defence, saying that doing so “would make all of us stronger.”

• Ukraine’s defensive capabilities: Ukraine has developed strong defences against the Russian invasion, as reported by The Guardian. The same report stated that Russia’s rate of advance has slowed to a crawl, with a senior NATO official briefing that Russian forces advanced 3.79 square kilometres a day in June, a quarter the rate a year ago, and that the invaders were continuing to take 30,000 to 35,000 casualties a month. The Guardian also reported that Ukraine has attacked economic targets as far afield as Siberia.

• NATO’s reluctance: The Guardian reported that Ukraine’s aspiration to become a NATO member remains far off, with allies including the US not interested in allowing a country at war with nuclear-armed Russia to become part of the western military alliance.

• Missile pressure: Fox News reported that Zelenskyy is pressuring the US and Europe for more missiles, citing his post on X. According to Fox News, Zelenskyy said, “Our warriors performed well today in intercepting drones and cruise missiles, but unfortunately not Russian ballistic missiles. And the reason lies in the insufficient supply of interceptor missiles.” He called for strong decisions in support of Ukraine’s air defence.

• Summit context: Both outlets reported that Trump is attending the NATO summit in Ankara. The Guardian reported that NATO leaders are meeting for a two-day summit, and that there are divisions over Russia’s war in Ukraine, defence spending, and the US-Israel war in Iran, with signs of the fragile ceasefire collapsing. The Guardian also noted that Zelenskyy will be a guest at a leaders’ dinner on Tuesday evening at the Turkish presidential palace compound and is due to meet Trump on Wednesday lunchtime.

Perspectives

Ukraine (Zelenskyy): Zelenskyy argues that Ukraine’s demonstrated defensive capabilities and combat experience make it a valuable addition to NATO, and that excluding Ukraine would be wrong. He calls on the US and Europe to provide more interceptor missiles and to make strong decisions supporting Ukraine’s air defence at the Ankara summit.

NATO allies (as reported by The Guardian): Several allies, including the US, are not interested in allowing Ukraine to join NATO while it is at war with Russia, a nuclear-armed state, reportedly due to the risks of escalating the conflict. The summit also faces divisions over defence spending and the US-Israel war in Iran, with the US president reportedly in a combative mood.

US (as reported by Fox News): The framing in Fox News highlights Trump’s focus on NATO defence spending and the challenges of promoting unity within the alliance, especially following the Iran operation. The report quotes a former US ambassador to NATO, Kurt Volker, crediting Trump for historic NATO defence spending and emphasising NATO’s historical role in deterring aggression.