Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an urgent appeal to the outgoing U.S. Biden Administration to push NATO members toward inviting Ukraine into the alliance. As the war with Russia approaches its third year, Zelenskyy is intensifying efforts to secure Ukraine’s long-sought membership, emphasizing the need for action before the Biden administration transitions in January.

According to Reuters, during a press conference in Kyiv alongside Antonio Costa, the new President of the European Council, Zelenskyy acknowledged the hesitancy of some NATO members but stressed the critical role of U.S. influence in overcoming this resistance.

“There are two months left in the current administration in the United States,” Zelenskyy said. “They have influence on those few European sceptics of our future (in NATO).”


Costa, visiting Kyiv on his first day as European Council President, reaffirmed the EU’s steadfast support for Ukraine. He noted the EU’s ongoing efforts to integrate Ukraine into the bloc, signaling a “sense of urgency” in the process.

“We cannot manage this process as business as usual because it is a geopolitical choice,” Costa said, highlighting steps such as coordinating mobile phone roaming rules and allowing Ukrainian goods into the single market ahead of formal EU membership.

Zelenskyy also spoke with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, in the Ukrainian capital. “Freedom will prevail,” the European Commission Vice President said in a post on X after the meeting.


The call for NATO support comes as Moscow makes significant gains in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, capturing village after village. Simultaneously, Russian airstrikes are targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as winter approaches, creating dire conditions for civilians.

In November, the Biden administration granted Ukraine permission to use Western weapons against Russian targets further afield, prompting Moscow to retaliate with new ballistic missile strikes and threats of escalated attacks on Kyiv.

Zelenskyy’s appeal comes as NATO members prepare to meet in Brussels this week. Ukraine is urging the alliance to extend an invitation that acknowledges Ukraine’s sovereignty over all its territory, despite the ongoing Russian occupation of significant regions.


Zelenskyy recently suggested that NATO membership could still be extended even while parts of Ukraine remain under Russian control. On Sunday, he reiterated that any invitation must cover all Ukrainian territory, rejecting proposals that might implicitly recognize Russian claims to occupied areas.

“There can be no NATO invitation to (only) a part of Ukrainian territory,” he stated. “Such an approach would effectively concede parts of Ukraine to Russia.”

While Kyiv demands the full withdrawal of Russian forces and NATO-style security guarantees, Moscow insists on Ukraine’s neutrality and recognition of its annexations. These conflicting demands leave little room for immediate peace negotiations, though both sides appear to be maneuvering for stronger diplomatic and battlefield positions.