NATO membership is the "cheapest" possible security guarantee for Ukraine and a chance for U.S. President Donald Trump to score a geopolitical victory over Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with the Associated Press (AP) on Feb.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that excluding his country from talks between the U_S_ and Russia about the war in Ukraine would be “very dangerous.”

The Associated Press interviewed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday at a crucial juncture of the nearly three-year war against Russia’s full-scale invasion.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has warned that a Russian victory over Ukraine would undermine the dissuasive force of the world’s biggest military alliance and could cost trillions of dollars to restore the organization's credibility.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump said on Jan. 31 that his team has already engaged in "very serious" discussions with Russia about its war in Ukraine. He suggested that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin could soon take "significant steps" toward ending the conflict.

Ukrainian attacks on oil facilities deep within Russian territory continue. Since the start of 2025, the frequency of strikes has noticeably increased, and there are grounds to believe that the capabilities of the Defense Forces will only grow.