In an interview with CNN anchor Erin Burnett, Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky spoke frankly about the importance of U.S. support for his country, and expressed his hope he would have President Joe Biden’s support for an invitation to join NATO.

Burnett has been in Ukraine since last week, visiting cities including Kyiv and Dnipro as she reported on the latest developments in the Ukrainian counteroffensive and the aftermath of the Wagner Group mutiny in Russia. The Erin Burnett OutFront anchor spoke with Zelensky in Odesa on Sunday, for an interview that will air in full Wednesday at 7 pm ET.

The Ukrainian counteroffensive was underway, reported guest anchor Erica Hill, with Ukraine claiming it was “slowly making progress in the east, taking back more than 14,000 square miles over the past week, despite Russia’s attacks there more than doubling,” as video footage showed a “massive fireball” over the city of Sumy after an attack on “a number of residential buildings and a security service building.”

“These attacks underscore why Zelensky is out repeatedly, pressing for Ukraine to be able to join NATO,” said Hill, and cued up the video of Burnett asking him about the upcoming NATO summit:

BURNETT: We are days away from the NATO summit. Have you had any assurances, at least even from the United States, that they will directly support Ukraine’s bid for membership?

ZELENSKY (via translator): I’m grateful to the U.S. for their support. President Biden and the U.S. Congress, both parties, despite their preparations for the elections, pay a great deal of attention to the war in Ukraine. They are on our side and they support us. It’s difficult for Ukraine to survive without the U.S. support, and it’s a fact.

I’m very direct when saying this: without the U.S.’s help, it will become a frozen conflict. With the U.S.’s help, we will deoccupy our territory, deoccupation of any next town is weakening Putin; we don’t have to be scared of that.

The U.S. decide today whether Ukraine will get invited to NATO. This is today’s situation and it’s a fact — the majority of the NATO countries support inviting Ukraine to NATO, those who have their doubts look only at President Biden, and he knows that this depends on him; it will be his decision.

BURNETT: So he has a decision to make, coming into this weekend.

ZELENSKY (in English): Yes. For today, yes. He’s a decision-maker for today, to be Ukraine in NATO or not to be. But we have great relations. So he support our future in NATO, but we are speaking now about very, very important, for motivation of our soldiers….Invitation Ukraine to NATO.

BURNETT: Not down the line, now.

ZELENSKY (in English): Now. It’s very important. It will push Russia, it will push our soldiers to deoccupy quicker because of their mobilization of the people. It’s so important to feel that you are really be in through — around allies in the future. But we know that we will never be in NATO before war finish.

BURNETT: Right.

ZELENSKY: So we understand everything. But this signal is really very important and depends on Biden’s decision.

For more on Burnett’s reporting in Ukraine, check out our interview with her here.

The post Without U.S. Support, ‘It’s Difficult for Ukraine to Survive,’ Zelensky Tells CNN’s Burnett, Expressing Hope for NATO Invite first appeared on Mediaite.

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