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Dreams of joining the NATO alliance and joint defense guarantees against the impending "Russian invasion" seemed to evaporate into the air as soon as Moscow launched its special military operation in Donbass.

On his Telegram channel on Friday evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky released a video addressing Ukraine, saying "We ended up defending our country alone. Who is ready to fight alongside us? I don’t see anyone." 

He said that there was no willingness to guarantee that Ukraine will become a NATO member. 

"Everyone is afraid, everyone is silent," he said. "They replied that <…> they are with us, but are not ready to make us members of the alliance."

Afterward, Zelensky went on to thank countries that helped Ukraine "by deeds, not just by words."

Demands for a clear timeframe for NATO membership

Ukraine is still eyeing NATO membership, with Zelensky requesting a "clear" timeframe for when it can join the alliance.

"What can we do? We can continue forcefully supporting Ukraine and its defenses. Present... clear, feasible timeframes for membership of the Alliance," he told a security forum on Saturday.

Western powers should drop their policy of "appeasement" toward Moscow, Zelensky added as tensions soar between his country and NATO on one side and Russia on the other.

"Ukraine has received security guarantees for abandoning the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal. We have no weapons. And no security," Zelensky claimed before the forum.

Read more: Russia targeting Ukraine's military infrastructure with precision weapons

 

He also went on to boast about Ukraine's prominence in the "defense against Russia," calling it "Europe's shield against the Russian army," and noting that it warranted stronger international support.

"For eight years, Ukraine has been a shield. For eight years, Ukraine has been holding back one of the greatest armies in the world," Zelensky asserted.