Zelenskyy says US administrastion never truly viewed Ukraine as a Nato member

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, alleged that the United States, including the Biden administration, never truly viewed Ukraine as a Nato member.
These remarks came ahead of Zelenskyy's much anticipated meeting with US vice president JD Vance, which is expected to offer any insight into President Donald Trump’s plans for a negotiated end to the ongoing war.
Earlier, the US President had reversed America’s support for Ukraine, following a telephonic conversation with Russian President Putin.
Trump’s stance on the war
Trump expressed doubt continued US support for Ukraine and has been vague on his plans for negotiations.
“The Ukraine war has to end,” he said, adding that young people have been dying at unparalleled levels since World War II.
“And it’s a ridiculous war.”
Both Trump and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth have dismissed Ukraine’s bid for Nato membership, despite the alliance arguing that the process was “irreversible.”
“I don’t see any way that a country in Russia’s position could allow… them to join Nato,” Trump said. “I don’t see that happening.”
However, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed the UK’s support for Ukraine’s accession to Nato.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Vance said that the US would impose sanctions on Russia and potentially consider military action in case Putin refuses to agree to a peace deal that ensures Ukraine’s long-term sovereignty.
Zelenskyy: No agreements without Ukraine
Despite reassurances from the US, Zelenskyy insisted that no deal should be made without Ukraine’s direct involvement. He expressed frustration over Trump’s decision to speak with Putin before engaging with Kyiv.
“We cannot accept, as an independent country, any agreements made without us,” Zelenskyy said during a visit to a nuclear power plant in western Ukraine.
Russian drone strike on Chernobyl
Hours before Vance and Zelenskyy’s planned meeting, a Russian drone carrying high explosives struck the protective structure of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine’s Kyiv region.
However, Ukrainian officials and the UN atomic agency assured that radiation levels remained stable.
Zelenskyy suggested that the strike was a deliberate message from Putin to the security conference in Munich, though the Kremlin denied responsibility.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova noted that Russia has not been invited to the conference for several years.