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Ukraine Bids to Join NATO Despite Long Odds

Zelenskiy pushes for accelerated membership path for Kyiv
Membership bid comes as Putin announces illegal land grab

Volodymyr Zelenskiy on a monitor during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Sept. 21. — Volodymyr Zelenskiy on a monitor during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Sept. 21.
Photographer: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg

By

Natalia Drozdiak and

Daryna Krasnolutska

September 30, 2022, 3:13 PM UTCUpdated onSeptember 30, 2022, 8:07 PM UTC

Ukraine formally applied to join NATO Friday but the alliance responded with immediate caution, seeking to avoid provoking a full-blown conflict with Russia since members are compelled to come to each other’s defense.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced the accelerated bid in a video address to the nation, saying Ukraine has already made its “path towards NATO,” demonstrating “compatibility with the alliance’s standards.”