Zelensky After NATO Summit: 'We Will Not Accept a Frozen War' with Russia

During a press conference following the NATO summit in Lithuania, Zelensky warned: 'We want to reclaim our lands, restore security to our territory, and this is a victory; Ukraine does not accept a frozen war with Russia.' In international relations, the term 'frozen war' refers to a situation where all armed conflicts between parties have ended, but no peace treaty or political mechanism has been established to resolve tensions between the two sides. This situation means that the possibility of war restarting exists at any moment. AFP reported that during this press conference, Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the clear commitment of NATO leaders to Ukraine's membership while seeking support from world leaders. The Ukrainian president also stated that as soon as the current security situation stabilizes, Ukraine will be invited to join NATO and achieve full membership. Zelensky expressed confidence that there was no opposing view against Ukraine at the NATO summit in Lithuania. His remarks come at a time when a 'timeline' for 'Ukraine's membership' in NATO has not yet been specified, and Ukraine's membership still depends on 'resolving the ongoing conflict.' Earlier, Voice of America reported that the Ukrainian president said if NATO leaders meeting in Lithuania do not propose a timeline for his country's membership in the defense organization, it would be 'illogical.' At the same time, Jake Sullivan, the U.S. National Security Advisor, stated that a 'reform path' will be outlined for Ukraine to eventually join the alliance, but 'I cannot set a timeline for that.' Concurrently with the NATO summit, Russia attacked Ukraine for the second consecutive night, provoking Zelensky's anger as NATO's position postponed Ukraine's membership to the 'future.' The U.S. welcomed Turkey's agreement to Sweden's accession to NATO as the NATO summit began, and Zelensky called for a timeline for Ukraine's membership.