Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signalled that his country is ready to abandon its long-standing desire to join NATO if it gets security guarantees from Western countries. He made the signal before meeting with US envoys and European allies in Berlin on Sunday.
The meeting comes as US President Donald Trump is pushing for a ceasefire. His special envoy, Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, arrived in Berlin on Tuesday to join talks with Ukrainian and European representatives.
Before the meeting, Zelensky said that Kiev’s withdrawal from NATO membership was a concession. NATO membership had long been seen as the strongest security guarantee against future Russian aggression. In return, the United States, European partners and other allies could now provide legally binding security guarantees to Ukraine if they so desired.
Zelensky, in response to questions from reporters in a WhatsApp chat, said that Ukraine's desire to join NATO from the very beginning was to do so. This is a real security guarantee. However, some partners in the United States and Europe did not support it.
If Ukraine does not become a member of NATO, the United States, Canada, Japan and other countries will have to individually guarantee Ukraine's security. This guarantee will help prevent any future attacks by Russia.
Zelensky described the proposal as a "compromise" on the part of Ukraine. He stressed that these security guarantees must be legally binding.
Zelensky's indication is going to be a major policy shift for Ukraine. The country has been trying to become a member of NATO for a long time. However, Moscow considers NATO expansion a threat to its own security.
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After yesterday's meeting, Steve Witkoff said, "There has been a lot of progress in the talks."
Dmytro Lytvyn, an adviser to Zelensky, said the president will speak on Monday after the talks are over. Draft documents are being considered.
The talks lasted more than five hours. Everyone agreed to meet again on Monday," Lytvyn told reporters on WhatsApp.
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