President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls on security alliance to send ‘signal’ to Moscow amid rising regional tensions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on NATO to speed up his country's membership process, saying it is the only way to end the heated conflict in the eastern Donbass region.
Ukrainian government troops have been fighting Russian-backed separatists in the eastern part of Donetsk and Lugansk, part of the Donbass, since rebels occupied a large area there in April 2014.
It was agreed to suspend hostilities in July last year, but fears of an escalating war have intensified in recent weeks amid reports of a resurgence of previous conflicts and the formation of Russian troops on the shared border.
Speaking on Tuesday after a phone call with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Zelenskyy said a signal should be sent to Russia as the situation is tense between the two.
He called on NATO members, who count Ukraine as a relative, to strengthen their military presence in the Black Sea region.
Zelenskyy said the move would serve as a "strong deterrent" to Russia, which included the Ukrainian peninsula in southern Crimea in March 2014 following a coup that overthrew former Kremlin President Viktor Yanukovych.
Sttentenberg said he had expressed "grave concern about the activities of Russian troops in and around Ukraine" during a phone call with Zelenskyy.
“NATO strongly supports the Ukrainian sovereignty and local integrity. We remain committed to our close co-operation, ”he said on Twitter.
Shortly thereafter, Moscow, denying any involvement in the conflict, warned that NATO's membership in Ukraine would "be a blow" to the Donbass region.
Russia is openly opposed to Ukraine joining the NATO and has recently warned an anti-military coalition in Ukraine.
"We sincerely hope that this will help Ukraine solve its domestic crisis," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Peskov also said that Ukrainians living in the east of the country are not returning NATO membership.
‘Anxiety’ of the US, UK voice
On Monday, the United States and the United Kingdom said they were "concerned" about the recent Russian military action on its border with Ukraine.
The U.S. State Department said it had found reports of military operations in the eastern border region "credible", adding that it had asked Moscow to comment "outraged".
The US has been Kyiv's most powerful ally since Russia was annexed by Crimea.
State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters that Washington would be concerned about any attempts by Moscow to intimidate Ukraine, whether it took place in Russia or within Ukraine.
He declined to say what the US believed was that Russia was preparing to attack the former Soviet republic.
Price's comments followed a phone call on Friday in which U.S. President Joe Biden assured Zelenskyy of "unwavering support".
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson also spoke to Zelenskyy on Monday and expressed his support for Ukraine's "sovereignty and integrity", according to his spokesman.
"They have discussed the UK's deep concern about the recent Russian military operation on the Ukrainian border and illegally connected to the Crimea," a spokesman for Johnson said.
The Kremlin last week said Russia was free to deploy troops in its territory.
On Monday, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow and Washington had been communicating at a very high level on Ukraine's situation.
Ryabkov said Russia had assured the United States that there was no cause for concern.
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