The chances of Ukraine joining NATO are fading away, says President Volodymyr Zelensky, news agency MIA informs.

“There are concrete causes: The resistance from Russia and some member countries of the alliance,” he said in a statement. Zelensky added that this was no secret, but did not name the countries.

The Russians are using the current troop presence on the Ukrainian borders as a means of exerting pressure, he said. The Ukrainian president repeated his offer of direct negotiations with Moscow.

However, Kiev’s requests for talks have not been answered by the Kremlin. Moscow has signaled several times that Zelensky should first implement already reached agreements before talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.