"We understand that Article 5, when you're a member of NATO, cannot apply to the entire territory of Ukraine during wartime, as countries are against the risks of being drawn into the war," Zelensky said during a news conference alongside Antonio Costa, the new President of the European Council, referring to occupied territory.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that if Ukraine joined NATO during the war, Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which provides for collective protection, may not apply to its entire territory.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during the briefing after a meeting with the new EU institutional leadership, indicated that if Ukraine joins NATO, Article 5 collective security guarantees might not apply to all Ukrainian territory.