Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he is quite pleased with a June 7 phone talk with his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, and considers the amendments made to a Ukraine statement concerning Biden's words about a NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) are insignificant.
Zelensky shared his opinion about this with the Ukrayinska Pravda online newspaper.
According to the president, Biden assured him of full support.
"Yesterday I had a wonderful conversation with President Biden. Clear, substantive, essential. I am very pleased with the outcome of the talk and prospects for further trust-based communication in person. In fact, Joe Biden assured me of his full and unconditional support for Ukraine," Zelensky said.
Read alsoBiden to invite Zelensky to White House this summer"We have a broad bilateral agenda and we will discuss it in detail in the United States in late July. Tete-a-tete. We have many important issues to discuss – security, territorial integrity, economy, energy, direct investment, technologies, cooperation in the defense sphere," he said.
As for the words about the NATO Membership Action Plan for Ukraine, Zelensky said the following:
"Definite deeds rather words are important. Whether Ukraine finally gets the MAP or not is a matter of the Alliance's wish itself. If we get it, then they really see us there. If we don't – this is also a very definite response."
The White House and the Ukrainian government initially sent out conflicting official accounts of Monday's phone call between Biden and Zelensky.
According to Axios, Ukraine's government initially reported on its official website that Biden had "highlighted... the importance of providing the Ukrainian state with a NATO Membership Action Plan," which would put Ukraine on course for membership in the alliance. The White House denied Biden expressed support for such a step on the call.
"The Ukrainians mischaracterized the statement and corrected the record," a National Security Council spokesperson told Axios.
