Andriy Yermak, head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office, told Newsmax that Ukraine joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is essential for its survival.
Appearing Monday on "Spicer & Co.," Yermak stressed that nations like Turkey and Hungary, which are hesitant to allow Ukrainian NATO membership, need to understand Kyiv's existential position.
"It's necessary to all the members of NATO, and all the members of the European Union will be interested and feel their interest in Ukraine coming to the alliance and the union," Yermak explained. "Our membership in NATO is the most important element of our security."
The two countries have expressed concerns over Ukraine joining the treaty organization, with Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán calling instead for a ceasefire and peace talks to end the war last year.
Yermak also highlighted the need for Kyiv to win quickly as Russia restructures its military command and could potentially receive Chinese military assistance. Ukraine, Yermak said, dreams of peace and "full territorial integrity."
"The best wish and the best dream of Ukrainians are to end this war as soon as possible," he stated. "For us, it's the [receiving] back of the full territorial integrity of our country."
"Every day costs us a life," Yermak shared. "Because every day they attack our cities, our civilian infrastructure."
Emerging last week as a key figure in peace talks was Chinese President Xi Jinping, who authorized the release of a 12-step proposal intent on bringing Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy to the table.
Yermak confirmed that the Ukrainian president was ready to meet with Xi. However, the official did not comment on if Zelenskyy would meet with Putin and said his country is still "skeptical" of a ceasefire.
"We will not accept this ... ceasefire because Russia always uses ceasefire to frozen the conflict and to be prepared for a new annexation, for new aggressions," Yermak declared. "We don't trust this signal."
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