BERLIN: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday said Kyiv was prepared to abandon its bid to join NATO if Western nations provide firm security guarantees, but firmly rejected a US-backed proposal that would require Ukraine to cede territory to Russia, as talks to end the war continued.
Zelensky held discussions with US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. He later shared images from the meeting, showing German Chancellor Friedrich Merz seated alongside him at the negotiating table.
Speaking to reporters, Zelensky said that since the US and several European countries had opposed Ukraine’s NATO membership, Kyiv now expects alternative security assurances comparable to those enjoyed by alliance members. “These security guarantees are a way to prevent another wave of Russian aggression,” he said, adding that Ukraine’s readiness to drop its NATO bid already amounted to a compromise.
Zelensky revealed that the US had suggested Ukraine withdraw from parts of the Donetsk region to create a demilitarised free economic zone — an idea he dismissed as unrealistic. “I do not consider this fair, because who will manage this economic zone?” he asked. “If we are talking about a buffer zone along the line of contact, where only a police mission remains and troops withdraw, then the question is simple. If Ukrainian forces pull back five to 10 kilometres, why should Russian troops not do the same?”
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov told business daily Kommersant that Russian police and National Guard units would remain in parts of Donetsk even if the area were designated a demilitarised zone. Ushakov cautioned that reaching a compromise could take considerable time, arguing that the US plan had been “made worse” by changes proposed by Kyiv.
