Kiev, 9 April 2023 (dpa/MIA) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that he still sees his country on the road to NATO accession, despite Russia's war of aggression showing no sign of stopping after 13 months of fighting.

This week has seen good "movement towards NATO," what with new military aid from the West and other expressions of international support, said Zelensky in his daily video message from Kiev.

Zelensky referred to Lithuania proposing to invite Ukraine to become a member of NATO at the military alliance's summit in the capital Vilnius in July. He thanked Lithuania.

The Baltic country's parliament decided this week to seek an invitation for Ukraine to join the alliance at the summit scheduled for July 11 and 12.

Ukraine's aspiration to join NATO is often cited by the Kremlin as one of the reasons for Russia's full-scale invasion last February.

Last year, Zelensky pushed for an "accelerated" accession into NATO, hoping for Ukraine to receive preferential treatment. The United States and other NATO members, like Germany, have expressed reservations about this, given that one of the prerequisites for joining is not being involved in international conflicts.

In his message, Zelensky appealed for support from countries that have yet to clearly distance themselves from Russia, saying Ukrainians were struggling for universal values that are close to all peoples.

"Everyone values security and protection from terror," Zelensky said.

Russia stands for "concentration camps, the deportation of children, the rape of women and the burning of cities," he said.

Photo: Volodymyr Zelensky Facebook