Ukraine's president says his nation is submitting an "accelerated" software to hitch the NATO navy alliance.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's assertion Friday got here shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed treaties to annex occupied areas of Ukraine the he warned would defend utilizing "all accessible means".
Zelenskyy mentioned "we're taking our decisive step by signing Ukraine's software for accelerated accession to NATO".
The Ukrainian chief's NATO software provides one other layer of complexity to the seven-month-old battle that quickly escalated following Putin's announcement of annexing elements of Ukraine.
Zelenskyy additionally repeated his pledge to retake all Ukrainian territory now held by Russia which he mentioned "feels our energy." He additionally mentioned Ukraine is prepared for dialogue with Moscow however "with one other president of Russia."
NATO was not instantly ready to reply to questions on what Ukraine's "accelerated" software to hitch the alliance would imply.
Ukraine is already thought-about an "aspirant nation" for membership on the world's largest safety alliance, together with Georgia. All 30 NATO allies must agree for the nation to hitch.
NATO is cautious of permitting any nation to hitch when its borders and territory will not be clearly outlined.
NATO's Article 5 defence clause – the pledge that each one allies should come to assistance from any ally who's territory is below risk – could be compromised within the case of Ukraine, as its unclear what elements of the nation would be a part of.
Ukraine has formally utilized for membership of the European Union however member nations have warned that it will take a number of years for the battle torn nation to have the ability to be a part of.
Earlier on Friday, the 27 member states mentioned they "firmly reject and unequivocally condemn the unlawful annexation" of Ukraine's territory.
In a joint assertion issued shortly after Putin began the method of annexing 4 occupied Ukrainian areas, EU leaders mentioned Moscow is undermining the "rules-based worldwide order" and has violated Ukraine's elementary proper to independence.
They added that they'll by no means recognise the unlawful referendums that Russia organised "as a pretext for this additional violation of Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Whereas the European Union's high migration official is urging the 27 member nations to clamp down on issuing visas to Russian residents amid heightened safety considerations over Putin's nuclear threats.
Migration Commissioner Ylva Johansson known as Putin's actions "clearly an escalation and which means additionally an escalation of the safety risk in the direction of the European Union".
She urged EU nations to implement extra stringent checks on Russian nationals and deny paperwork to anybody who would possibly pose a risk.
Johansson mentioned that EU authorities should cease short-term visa holders from Russia from renewing them in Europe and that Russians who've fled the nation shouldn't be allowed to use for visas overseas.
She mentioned that not one of the measures the European Fee, the EU's government department, is recommending would cease Russian residents from making use of for asylum in Europe.